Un Peu de Moi

I though it might be helpful if I offered a little information about myself and what I look for in various products.

I'm 26, vegetarian, have a 1 year old son and care very much about what goes on and in my body. I believe that my body deserves the best because it is the only one I have. If you mess this one up you don't get another one. I know that sounds cliche but if you think about the fact that your skin is an organ it might help you understand the significance of using good quality products on and in your body. Would you rather eat government cheese or fresh mozzarella? So why would you settle for anything less than the best for the largest organ in your body? I decided I wouldn't.
When I shop for products I look at the ingredients. I like to see ingredients that I can pronounce, ingredients that come from the kitchen or the garden (organic is best), and products that have good reviews from users. I really like to know what I am putting in and on my body.
Unfortunately, the world I live in doesn't make those high quality products readily available for people who don't have a large disposable income. That is part of the reason I wanted to do this challenge. I wanted to find a way to get the things that I want for my body and still be able to support my family.
That being said, I bought a lip gloss today, my first cosmetic purchase so far. I kind of broke my rules. I bought it from work so I got my employee discount, however it wasn't marked down. So I didn't pay full price but I still feel like I almost cheated. I have a baby climbing all over my computer so I'll post the price break down when I have some free attention.
Til then,
Ciao Bellas.
-A

In a Pinch

I had my second challenge last week. I was in a pinch, which is not a good place to be when you're trying to commit to a challenge. During our move I had forgotten shampoo, conditioner and face moisturizer. I rushed across the street with 2 coupons from my arsenal.
My first stop was Ralphs. It wasn't my obvious choice for personal care items, but I instinctively thought they might have a good sale on something I needed. I was right. I had a coupon for a Garnier shampoo which saved me $1.00 and a coupon for L'oreal conditioner which saved me $2.00. Total before coupons: $10.58. After coupons: $7.58 and I got good quality products that I wanted.
I headed over to Rite Aid to see if they had a better selection for moisturizer. Instincts were right again! After I narrowed it down to a few that I wanted, I found one that stood out above the rest. I didn't have a coupon and it wasn't marked down, but if I signed up for their rewards card I would save FIVE DOLLARS. Before the discounted price: $8.99, after the discount: $3.99.
Total spending for these 3 items: $14.57
Total spending so far: $38.05

So far I think I have been doing really well. I won't need to buy shampoo for a while, which is awesome. I am a little worried about my cosmetics. That is something that is really hard for me to experiment with. It took me years to find a foundation that was perfect and I hate the idea of trying to find something else. I keep getting e-mails from Sephora about different specials so I think I will keep my eye out for a killer deal on my foundation. Other items don't worry me as much but I refuse to use Wet n' Wild eye liner ever again. If you have ever used it then you know what I'm talking about. I will not stab myself in the eye ball just to stay in my budget.

It has been interesting so far. We are on the right track to do this right though!

Till next time, Beauties!
Love, A

First Flight

I made my first trip to Target to get a few things I need and a few things that I had coupons for. I definitely needed face wash since my samples from the cosmetics department at work ran out. Other than that, I really didn't need anything but I had some really good coupons.
Here is the recap:
Aveeno face wash - normally $6.49, marked down to $5.84. I had a coupon for $1.00 off - total spending = $4.84
Nivea Express Hydration lotion - $5.99. I had a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off and a Target coupon for $1.00 off - total spending = $3.99
Nivea Radiant Glow Lotion/Sunless tanner - $6.99. I had a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off plus a Target coupon for $1.00 off - total spending = $4.99
Lady Mitchum deodorant - $2.69. I had a coupon for $0.75 off - total spending = $1.94
Men's Gillette deodorant - $4.24 with $2.00 off coupon - total spending = $2.24

Combo Coupon:
Revlon Eye Lash Curler - $4.49 plus $1.00 off manufacturer coupon
Revlon Lipstick - $4.99
My coupon saved me $3.00 when I bought a cosmetic AND a tool so my total spending for these 2 items came to = $5.48

Total spending for these 7 items = $23.48

Woohoo!!! I felt so accomplished on this trip. I was able to stock up on lotion and deodorant for myself (and C), I got a new face wash that is good quality that I like (so far), a new (but not needed) eye lash curler and a new lipstick that I like. My average price per item came out to $3.35. Had I gone to Sephora for the same items I would have spent an average for $6.71 per item (calculated by the least expensive item from each category). TWICE AS MUCH PER ITEM!!!!!!
This means a lot for me. It means I am on track to stay under my budget of $300. Actually now the budget balance is down to $276.52. However, I will still need a food foundation, razors, hair color, shampoo and conditioner. Unless I get some amazing coupons I am not sure how I will pull those off just yet, but I am confident that I will be able to pull it off without compromising quality or my bottom line.
I think there are certain products I will have to be creative with. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that don't involve coupons or Target :) but we will see how those go.

We just got some good news that we may be able to move into our own place soon so my budget is more important than ever. It started out as a fun experiment but now has a real life application. Let's call it motivation.

So far I have had good luck combining Target coupons with manufacturer coupons since Target stacks them.
I personally don't have the patience to comb through ads and compare them with coupons. Sorry, Extreme Couponers.

Til next time, Beauties :)