All of these programs are FREE to the public. 

For more information and to register go to http://ewabeachcbdo.org/

Live, learn, grow!

In case any of you were wondering, I've been on a coupon shopping break. I had tons of great coupons that would given me some really awesome deals, but I didn't need any of it. So, I didn't shop. I'm not an extreme couponer and I don't chase or hunt down deals unless it's for products my family needs. Notice I said need, not want. 

There's a very fine line between couponing and hoarding and I try very hard not to cross it. Yes, a super hot deal on something is really hard to pass up. Living in Hawaii with limited space, sometimes you just have to know when to say enough is enough. Besides, the sales will cycle and the products will be available for a great price again in the next few months. For example SPAM.   Yes, I will promote the sales on spam because what household in Hawaii doesn't use it? I'm referring to most local households. We can't ever get enough of it. I keep two cases of spam in my house at all times. I know it's not the healthiest food choice but if we ever get caught in a Hurricane or Tsunami, I know we have a stash to hold us.   

I'll admit, when I started couponing again last year, I'd go rushing out for the hot deals when I heard about them.  At the time, I needed it. If it meant I could save money, I'd get it. Just remember that time is money. So although you can save tons of money using coupons, you also use your time to do so. With a proper system, this doesn't require 40 hours a week. For some, maybe it does. Not for me. I have a full time job. So I spend no more than 2 hours a week on clipping, filing, and deal searching.

Give yourself a couponing break from time to time. It'll help you appreciate the great deals even more when you get them!

Last night while eating dinner Romel yells, "oh there went a rat!". Both Shelby and I scream, "WHERE!!!". Well the darned mouse was behind our tv. Harley, our indoor house dog sees us freak out and knows he has to put in some work. Shelby moves the TV around and tells Harley, "git it!! sik em!!" Well, his pupils dialate and he turns into this monster terminator dog zoned in on a target. He starts to bite everything that moves. If we try to reach back there to move the mouse trap, he'll try to bite you. It's like he's a zombie. 

I have to yell at him to get in his crate to snap him out of the zone. But until he catches that mouse, he's not happy.  So, this stupid mouse runs out from behind the TV towards us and is now hiding near my computer desk. Great!! Wonderful. Just Fan-freaking-tastic!

Now, I went from scared to mad. I shake all my bags and items under the tables and my desk and there it goes. Runs under our couch. RRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! So, I start moving the couches. I didn't see Harley on the side of the couch and I moved my hand to pull Emily's little hello kitty couch out of the way. Harley went full blown beast mode on my hand!! He attacked me!!! For a little dog, his damn jaws pack a punch. I've been bitten by my big Rottweiler once (totally my fault for trying to stop him from fighting). And the pain I felt from his jaws was pretty close to what Zeus did to me. Harley barely broke the skin but he didn't just clamp down on my hand once. He clamped down three times. I've learned not to pull back when they bite. That causes the tears and cuts. I SCREAMED AT HIM. He let go and went into his crate. He knew I was about to punt his runty ass across the island.

If I knew he was standing there, I wouldn't have put my hand so close to him. His attack mouse radar was on and I didn't see him. Romel and Shelby stood there looking at me as I waved my hand around to shake off the pain. The bite marks were deep and the bruising and swelling was immediate. Romel threw me an ice pack. The cold burned my skin as I applied it onto the wound. After a few minutes, I washed it off and went straight to my oils. 

There was one small cut where it began to bleed. I put melaleuca on the entire site and rubbed it in. I then applied a massage cream with essential oils to help with the swelling and bruising. Today, the bruising is almost gone. The swelling is very minimal and the cut is scabbed over already. It is a little painful to the touch but very minor. I'm just glad my damn dog didn't rip into my flesh. 

Wasn't that a great way to end my weekend? No, we didn't find that craptastic mouse. But if Harley doesn't get it. I WILL! 

The other night Emily was playing in the living room. I was on the computer and Romel was sitting at the dining table. All of a sudden she got up, was looking up at something while waving her toy and kept saying in a playful voice, "grammpa...grampa...grampa". All while walking towards Shelby's room. 

I’ve been eyeballing the catalogs for months and never pursued it until now because it took that last straw to push me over the edge. I was looking for containers to pack food in and cups or bottles to pack drinks in (water, shakes, etc.). I couldn’t find one damn container that had a matching lid or cover to it. I just wanted to rip my cabinets apart. I was so frustrated and annoyed. My cabinet was in complete chaos and I was fed up.

I've always loved Tupperware. My mom used to sell it back in the late 70's and early 80's.  We grew up playing with Tupperware toys and having tea parties using little Tupperware plates, cups, and bowls. As an adult, a broke adult, Tupperware was just too expensive. I found myself swiping my moms stuff or my mother in laws pieces. For months, we’ve had a few pieces in my kitchen that belonged to them that I paid no mind to until a few weeks ago. I was looking for something to pack my lunch in that needed to be reheated. I couldn’t find the matching lid to the glad reusable container in my closet. Who does!?? I settled for this grey round cervix shaped container made by Tupperware. Thankfully, what I had to pack wasn’t soupy because that container didn’t fit flat in my thermal lunch bag from Thirty One. I had to pack it on its side. 

At lunch, I warm up my food. In fact, I over heated it. After I ate, I decided to google this container. I wanted to know what was up with this odd shape. The bottom is not flat. It has a nipple (for lack of a better term) up the center of the bowl. It reminded me of a donut; hence, the cervix description. I learned that the reason for that nipple is to allow the heat to warm the middle section of the container too. So you don’t have hot seared edges and a cold center of your meal. WHAT?! How fricken genius is that?! As soon as I read that, I wanted to learn more about Tupperware.

Boy, they’ve really thought of everything. Here I am crying over wilted celery, lettuce, and carrots, and they had the answer all along. So, I did what any frustrated woman does. I started making a wish list. What do I need? Ooh. What do I WANT?! Ok, how much will that cost me? ok. cross this off, cross that..ok. let’s start over.

I finally settled on getting the bare necessities for my kitchen. Salad bowls, microwavable containers, and smaller snack containers for Emily’s things. Here’s what I bought:

Crystalwave 8 piece set $54.00 - for microwaving and reheating food

Little bit of everything set – buy 1 get 1 free (no longer available) $18.00

Coffee house set $12.00

Modular Mates Square size 3 $21.00

Modular Mates Square size 4 $23.00

Butter dish holds 1 lb $10.50

Fridge smart container size small on special $9.00

Cereal Storer $19.00

Salad bowl set $29.00

My entire total with shipping and taxes was $231.72. Yes, that's a lot. Considering how much money I’ve spent over the last 5+ years on disposable containers probably adds up to much more than that. Then I think of all the foil and clear wrap that we have contributed to our landfills and I feel even sicker.Glass is always the best option when packing anything and reheating. I get that. But it’s also HEAVY and not practical for a household with young children.  Back to plastic. LOL.

One thing I liked was that Tupperware does not count the lid as a “piece”. When I got my box, I didn’t realize how much I bought because I did not physically see any of these products prior to purchase. I relied on the dimensional descriptions. My 8 piece crystal wave set was actually 16 counting the covers.

First thing I did when I opened the box and unwrapped every single individual piece covered in a plastic bag? WROTE OUR NAMES ON IT. Laugh all you want. After spending this much money on these containers, there’s no way on gods green earth that someone will be losing these or taking them for that matter. Then I ogled at wonderfully well made they were. No more flimsy crap containers in my house.

As soon as I got home we overhauled my entire kitchen. I’m talking the ENTIRE kitchen. My son and I pulled everything out of each cabinet one by one and started sorting. We had two boxes. One for stuff to keep and another for stuff to donate. Funny how you can find ALL the matching pieces when you yank your cabinets innards. After pulling it all out and wowing ourselves with “omg THERE it is!” and “dammit I was looking for this crap the other day”, we restocked our shelves with our new Tupperware. Everything nested nicely and fit perfectly on two shelves. TWO! No more containers falling out and landing square on the corner of your metatarsal in the dark making you scream bloody murder in the middle of the night.

After doing one cabinet, we did another, and another. Just slowly going around my huge kitchen clearing and reorganizing (I’m being sarcastic. Only millionaires have huge kitchens in Hawaii). Three hours later, my newly redone kitchen was complete. We purged and it felt great!

When we got home from our Kauai trip we came home to a fridge full of spoiled goods. We originally thought our ref was broken and was gearing up to get a new one. Thankfully a friend of ours gave us some tips on what to check on before we drop money on a new appliance.  We've found that it was due to our fridge clutter. Items in bags were blocking the vents. We pulled everything out and reorganized. But it wasn't enough.  Our friend came over and told us to empty out our fridge and not to overload it. At the time, the ref was loaded with produce. I had just gone grocery shopping and there was a lot of leafy greens in there that would be gone within the next few days.

I headed to Amazon to find products to help us declutter our refrigerator and freezer. And I found some great items that I will be reviewing later this week. I wanted to share my findings with you first. Now, first off, it's not cheap. I paid $100 for 6 large bins. But, the results were OUTSTANDING. In my opinion, it was well worth the investment. These bins by InterDesign fit my fridge and freezer perfectly and when I pulled everything out I found stuff that totally annoyed me. Not with the product, but what I found in my freezer.

In my freezer, we stock up on frozen veggies. I found FOUR open bags of corn! FOUR! What does that tell me? Rather than LOOK for an open bag of corn in the mess we call a freezer, its easier to just rip open a new bag. RRRRR!! OK. Not only did this task allow me to organize, it allowed me to PURGE!! When was the last time you purged your fridge and freezer? The stuff you find buried in there can make you scratch your head.

I didn't take a before picture because I was in the zone and didn't realize to blog about this until now. But if you can imagine all those products (and then some) just shoved in there with no rhyme or reason, that's what it looked like. The veggie bins at the bottom was full of the fruit along with some starting to turn. That's why its all empty. We got rid of a lot of it. I may do large grocery shopping trips for boxed goods. For produce and fresh food, I shop every 1-2 weeks depending on usage.

So, $100 later, and my fridge and freezer space now looks wonderful. What I love the most about these bins are the puka handles. It makes it easy to pull forward and tilt to see what's inside. In case something spills, all you have to worry about is washing the bins, not worrying how far it dripped and spilled down your fridge forming a pool at the bottom. Don't you just hate that?

As you can see in the pics, there's about 5" of space to the sides of the bins that I will be filling with 4" wide bins on amazon to hold cans and other odds and ends. Are you ready to declutter your fridge/freezer? 

I've done the work for you. You can find these on Amazon below. You're welcome!

Saturday evening I started to feel "it". That bug creeping up my throat. You know that feeling, when you feel sickness coming on? I was hoping I did not get the Flu that Emily just got finished with. See Tamiflu wrestling blog.  As soon as I felt it making its way into my throat I immediately started flooding my system with Essential Oils.  

I take two on guard softgels three times a day. I put lemon oil in my water and drink lots of it to flush my system out. I use peppermint beadlets for the frogs in my throat. Take on guard beadlets throughout the day to combat any bugs that may lie in my throat.

It's now Monday and I've been able to fend off the fevers and stopped the oncoming illness, so far. Sunday morning I woke up feeling like crap and started sweating off the fever. I continued to pump my system full of oils no matter how crappy I felt. I know I'm not good when I'm not hungry the entire day. I know I'm getting better when I get punched in the gut with starvation pangs. 

First, I did not clear the shelves with this trip. I barely made a dent in their stock. In Hawaii, if stores ever ran out of spam, I'd be on the lookout for zombies.  Secondly, I am not hoarding spam. I haven't bought spam since the last stock up about 4 or 5 months ago. I think it may have even been longer. 

I have a friend in town from the mainland who loves Spam. She had NO idea that Spam is made in a wide array of flavors that Times Supermarkets carries. The reason I point that out is I went to the Spam museum in Austin, MN. When I saw ALL these flavors I died. Honestly died. Why on earth would they not have it in Hawaii? The state that would die without it?  So, I paid $3.50 PER CAN at the Spam Musuem and shipped it home. Crazy right?! YES! A few weeks after I got back from Minnesota (this was two years ago), I took a stroll down the aisles at Times around the corner from my house. I almost fell to the floor in tears. They had EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR of spam on their shelves. And it was on sale for under $2 a can. Shoot me now, please. I was angry that I spent all that money to ship the darn cans here myself only to find it for much less at my neighborhood grocer.

So, when it goes on sale, I shop no where else but Times for spam. I don't care if Safeway is cheaper by 10 cents. Times has my heart when it comes to Spam. Anyhoo, my gf is here and loves spam. She is also on a journey to get healthy. No, I'm not trying to sabotage her or myself for that matter. We don't eat spam every single day either. But she's on vacation and I will not deprive her of this opportunity to try every single flavor. :)

On top of that, if there was a hurricane, tsunami or zombie apocalypse, our household is prepared for the worst. We got our rice, furikake, and spam to last us a while. 

So, it's on sale for $1.79 a can. I used $1.50/3 printable coupon = $1.29 each.

I also brought my own bags (3) and got $0.09 in bag credits.

My subtotal before coupons and tax $67.48.  I paid $49.38 for 36 cans of spam.

My total savings with the sale and coupons $79.29. Yay spam!!  Sale Ends Tuesday. So print your coupons and get over there and stock up!

Refer to my blog from March 9. That was the last time I bought diapers at target. I hit my stockpile inventory right on the money along with the sales cycle. Three months.

We were down to our last inner pack of diapers and it was time to stock up. This time, the up and up diapers were on sale for $24.99 each and with every two boxes, you got a $10 target gift card. On top of that, there is a 5% off cartwheel for those diapers and I used my red card for an additional 5% off.

I also picked up Pampers swim diapers. I had a $1.50 off printable coupon and there was a 5% off cartwheel and I used my red card for an additional 5% savings.

We are low on wipes and I normally wait for the Babies R Us sale but haven't seen it come around again. The target up and up wipes price out almost the same with the 5% cartwheel savings plus 5% red card savings.

I checked out with this trip and loaded up my car. I was shopping solo and needed to also get dog food.

I went back in and picked up 42 lb bags of dog food that had a 10% cartwheel savings and 5% red card savings.

Now, I have been going over the numbers on my receipt and haven't quite figured out exactly how the 5% target red card calculates the discount. It takes the complete subtotal after cartwheel and coupons and only shows the deduction but does not itemize it. I apologize for not knowing how to break this down for you. I just know that I'm still saving money. I'm not quite at that "extreme couponer" level and hope to never be. Those shows scare me and they're fake lol. Just like the horror movies I love so much. ahem..back to my trip.

Price breakdowns:

Pampers swimmers $9.99. 5% off cartwheel and $1.50 printable = $7.99 each

Up and up wipes (box of 800 wipes) $15.99. 5% off cartwheel = $15.19

Up and up diapers (156 count boxes) $24.99 each 5% off cartwheel = $23.74 each

My subtotal came out to $126.08. 
Less 5% red card savings of -$5.30
Plus tax
My total out of pocket was $125.67.

Pretty sweet deal!! Again, I'm getting each diaper for about $0.14-$0.15 each and each wipe for $0.02!

After I unloaded everything in the car I went back in. This time to get the dog food.

Boots and Barkley 42 lb dog food $18.99. 10% off cartwheel = $17.09

My subtotal was $34.18.
My red card savings was -$0.71 (can someone please tell me how this is calculated)

After using the $20 gift cards I just got from the diapers in my first trip, I paid out of pocket $15.05 for 84 lbs of dog food. That breaks down to $0.18 a pound!!  That will last my two rottweilers about a month and a half. The good thing is, that dog food price is a regular price. The B&B cartwheel offering is there till July 19. So I have time to buy more later. No need to overload my garage with dog food.

After Target, I hit up Longs to stock up on more stuff that we're running low on.

Libby's corned beef $3.50 each. No coupon. (This is a good price, beats the commissary too)

Ziploc slider bags quart size $1.25 each. Used $1/2 printable coupon = $0.75 each

Vienna sausage $6.99. No coupon. This is also a low price and beats the commissary.

Liquid plumber $2.39. used $1/1 printable = $1.39 each

Colgate toothpaste assorted $2.19. I had a $2/1 store q and $4 off $20 in oral care store coupon which breaks is down a little funky by eaches. I got one tube for $0.19 and $0.67 off the total of my oral care purchase (which includes the Listerine listed below)

Listerine Liter $4.49. used $1/1 from the Star Advertiser Sunday Paper = $3.49. This price beats the NEX.

Bandaids assorted $1.99 each. Used $1 off $5 purchase of band aids store coupon = $1.66 each

Angel soft tp $6.99. No coupon

Gold emblem dry roasted peanuts $2.79. Used save $1.50 off $8 purchase of gold emblem nuts store coupon = $2.29 each

My original subtotal = $107.59
Total after coupons (plus tax) = $93.99
My total savings for this trip including the sale prices was $102.22. I saved 53% 
I seriously love Longs! 

Note: I picked up 12 boxes of ziploc bags. No, I don't clear the shelves. There were lots more available when I left. Because we smoke meat, we need those quart sizes for packing our 1 lb of meat for sale. This is a major stock up price for us. And, if you go to Longs and there are none available, be sure to get a rain check! Or you can always take that ad to Walmart and price match it first, then apply the coupon. For the military shoppers, the exchanges price match too! And!!! Starting June 11, theres a nex scratch card! Use it there for a bigger bang for your buck!

I didn't get a picture of my entire shopping trip in one frame so you won't see all the items in the gallery below, just some.

Thanks for reading!

Once in a while I'll check these sites for coupons on products my family eats.  Coupons do exist for the health nuts out there! 

Mambo Sprouts
Down to Earth
Whole Foods

Use Goole to help you find even more precise coupons you may be looking for. Example: Gluten free products.

Surviving the Stores

Happy Healthy Eating!

Today after my Insanity on the Grass morning I went over to help my girlfriend with her fundraiser. She is a single mom fundraising to be able to attend a pageant to do hair and makeup for a girl who worked her way up and is now competing in the nationals. This girl who made it this far is the daughter of a single mom.  I commend her passion to want to fundraise the money herself to get to the pageant to help this girl win. My friend never had it easy. She has worked her way to become one of the best beauticians on the island.  I remember in high school when she would do our hair and makeup. She was awesome then and after working for grants to help her pay for school (Paul Mitchell) she is even MORE amazing now with 20 years of experience under her belt.

While we were sitting there talking and helping to market her lumpia, longaniza, and other filipino food event, a neighbor walked over.  This shirtless man wearing only denim jeans and sporting his cane came over slowly. His long white hair tied back in samurai style and goatee reminded me of a person I used to work with a few years ago. He walked straight over to my friend and said in a very quiet and calm voice, "Last week while you were here, I overheard you talking about your car needing new tires." He handed over a bundle of cash to her and said, "Here. I want you to go to Firestone and get new tires, please." All we could see was a twenty dollar bill. She dared not even open the wad of cash at the time. We both looked at each other completely speechless.

She said, "Uncle, I can't take this." He said, "Please, please take it. Go to Firestone and get new tires ok?" She responded, "Ok, Uncle. I will thank you." He started tearing and his face was turning red. "Are you ok uncle?" "No, I'm not", he replied as he tried to hold back his emotion. "But it's ok. Just go take care of your car."  "OK, I will thank you Uncle so much".

He walked away quietly back to his house. We sat there and stared at each other with tears in our eyes trying not to burst into waterfall mode. We couldn't figure out why on earth he would do such a thing. I asked her how much was in there and I opened the wad. He gave her $140!! 

The week prior, she was talking to her uncles to see if they could get tires for her at the junkyard that were still in good condition because she didn't have the money for new tires. Two of her tires were really bald. The neighbor overheard this conversation and paid it forward to her today. We were both so flabbergasted we couldn't cry. We couldn't say anything but wow and oh my god...why?

She told me she had gone back to church and now prays a lot. As soon as she went back to church, she noticed little blessings here and there in her life. Today, was a huge one. She drives her daughter in that car and safety is an issue. We don't know what prompted him to dish out the money for her but she was extremely thankful. I reminded her all day today to make sure she got it done....for him. Not so much for her. Bad, huh?

Later that day she found out he has cancer. Perhaps he wanted to pass out blessings before his time comes, who knows. But this man seriously put hope back in our hearts that people out there do give a damn and DO have good hearts. It was an amazing thing to witness.

I jotted down his address. I don't know his name. But I plan on paying something forward to him...very soon.

Have you ever paid it forward? Or has someone paid it forward to you? If you have not, start. It doesn't have to be big and grand. A little thing like paying for someones cup of coffee at Mcdonalds. It'll make you feel like a million bucks. I promise.

For my friends in Ewa Beach, there's FREE Insanity on the Grass at Geiger Park every Saturday at 8 am.

These are all FREE events that you can attend to learn, grow, and just have fun! Click on "register now" to go to the event brite site for further details and to sign up.

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FREE Youth Photography program provided to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO).

Limited to 12 available slots. 


You must be able to commit to attend all classes on July 9, 16. 23, 30 (Wednesdays). Field Trip to the Academy of Arts will be held on Sunday July 20.

Register now!

Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation from the Ewa Beach CBDO.

Synopsis:
Participants will learn about elementary photography techniques and the use of photography as art. Use photographic techniques that they learn to photograph wht they think is beautiful and culturally relevant in relation to the Ewa Communities. Discussion about photos between participants and instructors promote communication skills.

Each participant will be assigned a digital camera during the duration of the class

My testimonial: My daughter took this course 2 years ago and absolutely LOVED it! We were surprised at how talented she was with a camera. The artwork was simply amazing. I highly recommend this activity for your children!

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FREE 4-week Art program course offered to 12 students (Grades 4-6) that will teach participants about art. The Art Narrative Project is provided to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO). 

Limited to 12 available spots. 
 
Register now! 

Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation from the Ewa Beach CBDO.

Program will be held on July 9, 16. 23, 30 (Wednesdays). Field Trip to the Academy of Arts will be held on Sunday July 20.

Our "Art Narrative Project" will teach participants that art is a form of communication via the elements of design through extensive examples of design from arts of the world. Students creat an initial art narrative concerning life in Ewa caputuring what is important and special to you about the area. With the completed are piece, they will write a story starting iwth, "I come from a place called Ewa..."

Artwork will be displayed to showcase the artwork of our students.

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FREE Culinary food training  to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO). 

This program is valued at $400 per person.

Limited spots available and priority offered to LMI Ewa Beach residents. 
 
Register now!

Must be able to attend all classes July 12, 19, 26 and August 2 from 9:00am-1:00pm

Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation and receipt of participant packet from the Ewa Beach CBDO.

Our 30-hour supplemental course will provide additional training for culinary entrepreneurs. The ServSafe Starters training and certificate program is a complete solution that delivers consistent food safety training to employees. ServSafe Starters covers five key areas:

• Basic Food Safety
• Personal Hygiene
• Cross-contamination & Allergens
• Time & Temperature
• Cleaning and Sanitation

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FREE Financial Planning program provided to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO). 

Limited spots available. 
 
Register now!

Participants must be available to attend the both July 15 and July 22. 
Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation from the Ewa Beach CBDO.
College Planning starts years before a student graduates from high school. Learn how to best position yourself to get into the schools you desire, be ready financially, and achieve your academic goals.

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FREE 60-Minute couponing course that will provide an introduction to the world of couponing program provided to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO). 

Limited to 25 available spots. 
 
Register now!

Class time:  Thursday, July 17, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 


Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation from the Ewa Beach CBDO.

Coupon 101 will teach you about etiquette, organization, terminology, and how to do match-ups that will maximize yoru savings.

Receive an extremely discounted rate on the Honolulu Star Advertiser (Sundays and Holidays) which is not available directly from the Star Advertiser. The special rate is more than 56% less then the cover price. Couponing in Hawaii CAN save you lots of money!

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FREE College and Financial Planning program provided to you by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization (Ewa Beach CBDO). 

Limited spots available. 
 
Register now! 

Your registration is complete upon receipt of an email confirmation from the Ewa Beach CBDO.
College Planning starts years before a student graduates from high school. Learn how to best position yourself to get into the schools you desire, be ready financially, and achieve your academic goals.

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Complete this survey for Times Supermarkets and get a free item! Be sure to print the voucher in its entirety and bring it to the store.  Last time I did this I got a free Mio liquid.  This time, I got a free 4 roll of cottonelle toilet paper. Perfect timing. We're ready to restock TP in our household.

click on the link below and it will open the survey in a new window/tab.

Mahalo!!

surveymonkey.com/s/hawaiigrocerysurvey2014

Because I am a coupon instructor and also sell the Sunday Star Advertiser papers, I want everyone to be aware of a breach of information at the Star Advertiser. Please see the video below for more details.

Or you can read the full story at Hawaii News Now.

If you are a current subscriber, please check your accounts for any fraudulent activity.

I use MINT to check all my accounts in one place. It's convenient, safe, secure, and FREE.

Spam on sale at Times Supermarket this week! Yay!! Click on the spam can to take you to the printable coupon page. Be sure to check multiple zip codes so you can get multiple prints of the coupon.

Sale price $1.79 each. Use the printable save $1.50 off 3 cans and get each can for $1.26.

Why I usually push the sales for spam at Times? Because Times carries the different flavors of spam at that same low price on sale. Longs usually only carries teriyaki, regular, and low sodium.

This is the perfect time to stock up on musubi supplies. Hinode rice is on sale at Longs this week and now Spam at Times. Yay!  OH. and speaking of longs. Furikake is $1.66 a jar this week. Which reminds me to run down there and get some!  

Zip codes for rice also apply to the spam. 84121, 77477, 90210.  Play around with it and try other zip codes. You might get lucky!


Don't forget your bag credits at Times Supermarkets. You get 3 cents back for every bag you bring. 

TIP: How can you tell if you've reached your print limit?

After you've printed the coupons you wanted from that particular zip code, go to the very last page of the coupon list (usually around 35-37). All the limit reached coupons will show up at the very end.

Now enter your next zip code and continue the hunt.

Our two year old tested positive with Influenza B. Who knows how she got it. She had a cough for about two weeks. She would only cough in the mornings or when she woke up from a nap so we didn't think much of it. We just used eucalyptus and a respiratory blend to help with the coughing. She never had a fever or showed signs of not feeling well.

Friday night she started throwing up. The coughing got worse to the point where she was vomiting. She got up at 1 am crying. She crawled into bed with us and went back to sleep.  We got up at 6 am and she was burning up!  She was uncomfortable and now we had to give her tylenol to help with the fever. I personally HATE tylenol because it masks whatever is causing the fever. You give a kid tylenol and the fever goes away, but the illness is still there.  Well, she hates the taste of any medicine and barf city again. First thing in the morning I take her to the dr and yep, she's got Flu B.  Doc prescribed tamiflu.  Even with medical coverage, her medication for one week was $45. That's the most I've ever spent for medicine. 

The pharmacist warned me that the taste is bad and chilling it helps it go down easier. I have never had to take Tamiflu and didn't think it would be that bad. Well, boy was I wrong. Tamiflu is a horridly bitter medication. That explains the fighting, wrestling, and kicking and screaming whenever she saw that syringe filled white goopy medicine. And we had to give this to her TWICE A DAY!! ugh. Not to mention, because it tasted so horrible, it brought on the vomiting fits! It took three of us to give this medicine to her. One to hold her body. Another to hold her head in place. And another with the syringe.

Last night, after trying to get her to take her dose, she vomited violently...the ENTIRE NIGHT. That meant, she didn't get much of her medicine. Which meant she didn't sleep well. Which meant WE didn't sleep well. Which meant she woke up with another fever. And I had tons of laundry to do.

So this morning after trying to figure out how to get this in her without a fight at 6 am, I tried vanilla yogurt. Didn't work. Finally, I was so damn frustrated that I grabbed a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a very little bowl and I covered it with her Tamiflu. I mixed it up and lo and behold she ate every last spoonful. Even tried to drink the rest up out of the little bowl. HALLELUJAH PRAISE THE LORD! So, lucky Emily gets ice cream twice a day now. Thank god we had vanilla ice cream in the freezer.

It wasn't until now that I decided to google tamiflu and children. I found that ALL parents that have had to administer tamiflu had the same struggles. It made me glad to know that it wasn't just us. Cause I thought all the drama was just because we had to restrain her like a psychotic person in a mental hospital. I hated having to fight her and force it down her screaming throat.

So, tip for you parents....tamiflu hides well in vanilla ice cream or nutella. Prepare the bowls/spoons out of sight.  If they see it, they won't touch it.


If you choose to do just nutella, make three spoons. First one with plain nutella. Second one spiked with tamiflu. Third one is the chaser with plain nutella again.


You're welcome.

I will be teaching a FREE coupon class on July 17th in Kapolei from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. I will be there until 7:30 to answer any questions.

The class will be held at the Ewa Beach CBDO Office:
Campbell Square Suite #133
1001 Kamokila Blvd
Kapolei, HI 96707

You must RSVP at the link here

Parking is free.

This class is being sponsored by the Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization

Ewa Beach residents in the 96706 area will be given priority. If you are not in the Ewa Beach area, please use the general admission ticket for entry.

It's been a while since I posted a shopping trip so here's one for today. I haven't had a need to do shopping hauls since I've been well stocked for a good 4 months. I am only now down to 2 bottles of Tide and low on some dryer sheets as well as other items. My shopping habits have changed slightly. I used to raid every single aisle of the commissary. With my eating habits changed, I stay away from the center of the store and try my hardest to stay close to the perimeter as possible. That's where most of the fresh and better food options are. The center is where the "cheapest" foods lie and also the most processed.

So, here's my shopping trip breakdown.  My total before coupons and surcharge was $246.70. Surcharge of 5% (why I don't really like shopping in the commissary too often) was $12.34.  My total out of pocket (including surcharge) = $214.93. I saved $44.20 using coupons this trip.

For all printables coupons I reference below, you can search and print for them using the database and print coupons here pages on my site. I wish I had the time to put direct links to every single one of them for you. 

If I missed prices on something in the picture, send me a comment and let me know and I'll update the blog. 

Hamburger helper $0.80 each - used $1/2 printable = $0.30 each 

Honey nut cheerios $1.99 each - used 1 $0.50/1 printable and 1 $0.60/1 printable = $1.39 and $1.49 each

Alpha bits cereal $2.00 - used $1/1 printable = $1.00

Cinnamon Toast crunch cereal $1.99 each - used 2 - $1/2 printable = $1.49 each

Yakisoba noodles $0.69 each - used $0.50/1 MQ from sunday Star Advertiser = $0.19 each

Kraft dressing $1.50 each - used $0.75/2 MQ from sunday Star Advertiser = $1.13 each

Ketchup $0.50 sale. no coupon

Wesson canola oil $7.49 - used $0.75/1 printable = $6.74 each

Kraft Mayo $2.69 - used $0.75/1 MQ from sunday Star Advertiser = $1.94

La Victoria salsa $2.20 each - used $1/2 mq from sunday Star Advertiser = $1.70 each

Canned spaghetti sauce $0.50 each. No coupon

Hinode long grain white rice 2 lb bag - $1.49 each - used $0.75/1 printable = $0.74 each ($0.37 per pound)

Pork and beans $0.50 each. No coupon

Bird seed bell $1.98. Used $3/1 printable. no longer available. = Money maker of $1.02 

Wisk detergent $4.49. Used $1/1 mq from sunday Star Advertiser = $3.49 each

Bounty basic paper towels $2.49 each. Used 4 (limit) $0.25/1 mq from sunday star advertiser and 1 printable of same value = $2.24 each (breaks down to $0.75 per roll. its two large rolls equivalent to 3 regular sized rolls)

Snuggle dryer sheets $1.99. Used $0.25/1 mq from Sunday Star Advertiser = $1.49 each

Wet ones wipes $1.99 each. Used $1/2 mq from Sunday Star Advertiser = $0.99 each

Drano $4.82 no coupon

Philadelphia honey soft cream cheese $2.07. Used $0.75/1 printable = $1.32

Eggs 18 pack $3.11 each. No coupon

Sliced sargento natural cheese $2.50 each used $0.55/1 printable = $1.95 each

Kraft sliced swiss $2.00 no coupon

Kraft shredded cheese $2.00. no coupon.

POG! $2.02. Used $0.25/1 tear pad q = $1.77 each

Daisy sour cream $1.59 no coupon

Lunchables (new item) Kabob with smoothie $2.29 each. Used $1/1 printable = $1.29

Turkey bologna $1.25 each. no coupon

Flour tortillas $2.53 each. No coupon

Scope mouthwash $3.81. Used $1/1 printable = $2.81 

Baby wash $2.66. Used $0.50/1 printable = $2.16 each

Qtips 500 pack $2.29 no coupon

Magnum ice cream bars $2.49 each. Used $1.25/1 printable = $1.24 each

The meat and produce listed below had no coupons. I'm listing them for my own memory so I can compare it later against the farmers market and other stores:
Pork riblets $4.21 and $3.57
Iceberg lettuce $1.88
Tomatoes $2.18
Kale $2.60
Zucchini $4.10
Cucumbers $3.34
Mixed fruit bag (red and green apples and oranges) $8.30
Green bell peppers $4.18
Celery $1.18
Red seedless grapes $3.26
Strawberries $3.89
Baby spinach $4.92
Ginger $2.62
Carrots 5lb bag $3.27
Romaine hearts $3.56

I don't shop for more than 4 months worth of household goods at a time. I will be purchasing my produce and fresh items every week to 2 weeks. I don't clear shelves and I don't hoard. I also don't wipe out shelves of any tear pad or blinkie coupons either.  I do not promote that kind of couponing.  

I do also want to point out that I post my shopping trips to encourage others to coupon and help loosen up their family budgets by subsidizing cost using coupons. It's not to boast, brag, or make others feel like they can't do what I do. My goal is to encourage and motivate. So, I hope this post helps you understand how I shop. When commissary shopping, I can't really plan much because they don't advertise prices.  I also make a log of the stores I need to hit for the sales and coupon stacking.  So, I still need to get to Target to get some almond milk, diapers and other necessities at great deals by stacking mq's, store q's, cartwheel, red card, and bringing my own bags.  I need to get to Longs to pick up furikake. It's way cheaper there than the commissary.  Not everything is cheaper in the commissary.

Mahalo for reading and eh...clip clip clip! Go..CLIP EM! :) 

For those who don't know what I'm referencing with that last line...click here...she says it at the very end. 7:22 to be exact. Enjoy!