Breaking Even, Inc.

Some Updates On Projects

Project: The Zen And Art On Coupon Clipping
Time Elapsed: Two Weeks

So far, I'm a little discouraged on this project. I find that I haven't been able to use a lot of the coupons I've clipped. Often, it seems the store brand still beats my name brand coupon. My last shopping trip I saved...$2.38 with coupons. My Grocery Game savings the same trip were around $10, and I don't really have to do anything for that except print off the list and pay $5 a month. (and hey, saving me $10 in an average week means that it pays for itself and then some for sure). I'll keep clipping coupons though and give this a solid month to trial to see if it's worth my time

The one exception to coupon discouragement is the $8 Hills Science Diet Dogfood I got from Spending Less 101. That website points you to coupons you can get online. I waited until the food was on sale ($5 off this week) and I saved $14 on my finicky dog's healthy food: $17 of food will now last at least two months for her.

Project: How To Get Rid Of Carpet Odors
Time Elapsed: Two months

Thanks to everyone who participated in this, including Debt Free Revolution and Bouncing Betty who suggested Odoban from Home Depot. As the daughter of a small hardware store owner, I hate HD but I went to get this product. $8 and only about 1/8 of the bottle later, smell is gone. Completely.

Project: Blogroll Update
Time Elapsed: Too Long!

I finally updated my blogroll with new (well, not so much new as new to me) blogs that I read all the time.

Personal finance-y blogs: Being Frugal, Cheap Healthy Good, Debt Free Revolution, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, My Small Cents, Northern Cheapskate, Spending Less 101, and The Baglady.

Other great blogs: Intelligent Travel, Shorpy, Hoarded Ordinaries, and Satellite Sisters.

If I haven't added your blog or website yet and I clearly read it and comment on it all the time, let me know!

There I got all those updates done like I've been meaning to! Whew! Now anxiously awaiting five o'clock for the weekend to start... Happy Friday!

Two Project Updates

So for awhile now, I've had several projects going. Good for me (right?) but it probably left you wondering, "Hey, what ever happened to that?" I'd like to update you on a couple of fronts.

First of all, you may remember how I decided to become a total stagemom and use Sadie as a meal ticket. Well guess what?!? Cutestpetcontest has come through for us, at least so far... I'll keep you all posted as to Sadie's winnings. This may be come tease, as half the email is spent telling me how I could go about buying this book that Sadie is apparently in.

Secondly, remember my trying out of The Grocery Game web site? I finally stopped procrastinating last week (the weekly "Guess what you're missing" email from the company in my instance is actually kind of helpful). Sean and I did some of our shopping at "the other store" also known as Shaws since the Grocery Game does not price compare with Hannaford, where we normally shop. One trip saved us $10.91, more than paying for our month membership. (You can also try it for a month for $1.) I'll do this a few more weeks to let you know if it ends up being worth it or not. So far, I get it and I'm a total Grocery Game convert... plus they have coupons you can print off their site. We saved $1 on Sean's contact lens solution last week!

I'd love to compare these with other coupon sites. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? 

Working My Money Maker

As I was lying in the dentist’s chair getting my teeth buffed and praying for no cavities when I overheard a cutest pet contest on a radio station. It was then I had an idea. Maybe I could make money by doing next to nothing. I Googled pet photo contests only to find a ton, some paying.

My dog Sadie is pretty darn cute. She’s 13 and I often joke that if she weren’t an old lady, I’d be pushing her into show business. And this is mostly a joke.

So for those who want to give me feedback, I’m making a Sadie photo album on this blog. Let me know what picture you think is the cutest and that’s what I’m sending in. Because I don’t often pursue these something for nothing events, I’ll indulge this one time. Plus it’s a great occasion to put together all those great Sadie pictures into one place.

Check out the Sadie album here!

A Weekend Getaway

Sean and I are going away overnight on Saturday to visit friends. They have a baby and a dog already so I figured if at all possible, I'd try to leave Sadie behind (I know, look at that face. It's amazing I get to work every morning!)

Rather than spend 45 minutes driving her to my aunt's house (which is in the wrong direction anyway), I'm paying the neighbor's kid to watch her. $25 will allow Sadie to stay in her own house and put some money in a kid's pocket. It's what I'd pay to leave her at a kennel anyway.

I'm hoping that he likes doing this so that whenever I want to leave, I don't have to start going through my address book desperate for a puppy sitter. And knowing I have someone I can count on, I may actually leave a little more often. Sorry Sadie, momma needs a life.