Resolutions-Schmesolutions

New Years resolutions... 

I don't normally like to make resolutions, because I tend to quit them two months after I've made them.  I guess it's the nature of the beast.  However, last year I made a personal resolution to find a home church and begin attending every weekend. 

I guess I need to digress a bit.  We moved to Washington State, from California, a few years ago and I never found a replacement church for us.  But, I made a resolution to go back to church and find a weekly home for us to worship in.  I am happy to say we are members in a church now and have been going steady every Saturday night (yes, our church has a Saturday night service) since January of last year.

Here it is again, a new year, a new resolution.  

I am taking on my finances.  I haven't always watched my money as well as I could have, but neither have I wasted money either.  I decided this year I was going to go the extra mile.  I am going to clip coupons, watch for weekly deals and put money back into my family's pocket.  Now don't expect to see me on TLC's Extreme Couponing.  I don't need a second job clipping coupons for hours at a time nor do I have the energy and to patience to do what the those fine ladies of that show do.  But, I can challenge myself to make changes.

So, here I am two weeks into my new resolution and I have a few figures to give you.

Week One:

Target-
Our local Target revamped the inside of their store to include a grocery section.  I normally wouldn't think about going to Target to grocery shop, but I am I have found Target a great way of picking up the NON-Costco supplies.  If your a Costco shopper you'll get this statement.  Sure I love cantaloupe like the next guy, but I don't need seven of them, nor can I eat seven of them before they spoil, nor do I have the space to store seven cantaloupes.

You get the picture.  Back to Target.

Did you know you could view Targets weekly ad online as well as clip and print coupons from their site?  I love this.  Target usually has coupons available on the same items in their weekly specials.  They have also been promoting weekly gift card specials.  If you buy a specific amount of a certain product Target has you will give you a five dollar gift card for you to use on your next visit.  If someone handed you a FREE five dollar bill, wouldn't you take it?  In just the last two weeks I have received two five dollar gift cards.

I did some shopping this week and my total purchase came to $101 and with my printed coupons, mail-flyer coupons, sale items and my FREE five dollar gift card I reduced my bill by $16 dollars.  No, I will probably never have a segment on Extreme Couponing, but I do have $16 back in my pocket.  Resolution for week one accomplished.

That brings us to...

Week Two:

Regal Movie Theaters-
Do you have a Regal Crown Club card?  If you don't, you should. The Crown Card is FREE to you and for every dollar you spend purchasing your movie tickets or buying any goodies at the concession stand you will earn points.  To date we have earned earned several FREE bags of popcorn, FREE sodas, FREE movie tickets and just this last week Regal offered a coupon, on their Facebook page, for a $2 Zap Pack.  What's a Zap Pack?  Yeah, you got me on that one too.  

Zap Pack:
A small popcorn, small soda and a small candy all in a convenient carrying caddy. 

What did I have to do to get this?  I had to "Like" Regals Facebook page and when I did Regal sent the Zap Pack coupon right to my cell phone, which I had to show at the concession stand.  They scanned the bar code right off my phone and for just $2 I got my Zap Pack.  The Zap Pack was just the perfect size to have a munch fest at the movie theater.  My husband and I usually spend $15-$20 for something like this to share, but not this weekend.

Most theaters are sporting some kind of rewards program you just have to ask them about theirs.

I am two weeks strong in my New Years Resolution.  I just hope I can keep this one going strong.

Happy New Year!

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