The price of beauty (and practicality)

Why must contact lenses be so expensive? I made the switch to them 2.5 years ago, and if it weren’t for our current household income, I’d probably have to go back to wearing prescription glasses! I ordered a year’s supply of Acuvue Oasys contacts & Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, and the total was almost $300. And I even went through 1-800 Contacts, since they are usually cheaper than the other companies! The good news is that there are two $20 rebates available, one for each type of contact lenses that I ordered, so I’ll be able to re-coup part of that big chunk.

But I do need contacts. Between my astigmatism, and the fact that I have small children, prescription eyeglasses and I just aren’t a good mix. Besides, glasses are continually exposed to the potential for damage or breakage. Contacts are safely in my eyes, so they’re out of the path of danger.

Besides, looking for Buy.com coupons is so much more enjoyable when I don’t have that standard 4-eyes look.

Oh, you clip coupons?

That’s a response I often get when I mention wanting to go through the coupons in my wallet or in the weekly Sunday paper before going out to the grocery store, to Target, or even to the pet store (hey, I buy pricey cat and dog food, and with four cats & a Pug with a healthy appetite to feed, coupons always come in handy!). I don’t get the issue some people have with coupons. They provide you with the opportunity to save money, so why wouldn’t you be interested in using them?

When it comes to saving money, I clip coupons, I look online for coupons, and I also check out local sales ads to see if I can combine coupons with current deals to save even more. Last week, for example, Kmart had Charmin toilet paper on sale. I had a Charmin coupon that entitled me to $2.00 off a 16-pk or larger, so guess who went over to Kmart and saved nearly five bucks on toilet paper? That’s right, yours truly!

But hey, if you don’t want to clip coupons, that’s fine with me. Just pass ‘em my way so I can enjoy the savings!

Get ready for Spring, Summer

The sun is high and bright today, and the sky is a beautiful, clear blue. Those are the only two things I need to fuel my desire to  enjoy the day. There are errands to run, air to breath and vitamin D to soak in. If you don’t have errands to run today don’t let that stop you from getting outside (I hope you have good weather as well.), go clean up your yard, wash your vehicle and ascertain everything you’re going to need to keep those things in order when nice weather kicks in for the next three to five months.

For instance, if I was taking an assessment of what I need then I would have to see what Barbecue Grill Superstore coupons are available and take advantage of their huge selection of grills, which can normally be had with free shipping. And if I was going to be having a backyard party I’d need to shed some light on everything for the comfort of my guests (and my general satisfaction) so I’d check out the Landscape Lighting shop, which has a deal right now for $10 off any $75 purchase.

Maybe I’ve jumped a little ahead of myself so I better get the grass cut, the edging done, cut back the limbs and greenery growth… and maybe power wash the house. Now that that’s all done, I’ll grab a comfy yard chair and my favorite drink to enjoy the blue skies and sunshine.

Satisfy your sweet tooth

You’re sitting there minding your own business when all of a sudden your taste buds begin to tingle. You smack your lips and consider what’s missing. Something sweet. That’s it; you want some sweet, chocolaty, rich and delicious. Off to the kitchen you go to see what’s in the cabinets. Empty.

You peek in the fridge. Nothing.

Hands on hip, you roll your eyes knowing that you don’t feel like getting in your car to get a little satisfaction for your craving. You heave a deep resigned sigh and go back to watching television.

You wouldn’t have to go through this if you had planned according and taken advantage of the 10 percent off deal at Chocolate Rapture. That’s right, there’s a 10 percent off Chocolate Rapture coupon just waiting for you to use it. All you have to do is check out the food and drink coupons then click to Chocolate Rapture to order some Rose City Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels or a little Rose City Dark Chocolate and Nut Bark.

Once it’s ordered you can hide it from your other family scavengers members in that special spot that only you know about. Then the next time you’re sitting around minding your own business and get a little tingle in your taste buds; you’ll have something to soothe them. The taste of those dark chocolate covered pretzels will be even better when you remember you also saved a little money.

Balancing work, family on a budget

Sometimes going to work can cause additional expenses especially in the instance of a stay-at-home mother or a sole proprietor who has been available to their children’s needs on a daily basis. The addition of employment can mean the need for more gas for a vehicle, additional clothing for a work wardrobe, afterschool or daycare for young children and possibly other expenses.

In order to be able to take care of these financial responsibilities it will take some creative balancing of money and family responsibilities:

• You have to keep your vehicle in top-running order so keeping abreast of the Automotive coupons to know what stores are having the best deal is a great way to stay on top of that.
• Instead of paying for a daycare center with transportation service to pick up your children from school and take them to the center, it may be beneficial to find a sitter in your neighborhood, through SitterCity, which my offer the same services for a lower rate or find an in-home nanny through Nannies4Hire.
• Did you know you can shop online for groceries and still save money? You can with Safeway. Check out the Safeway coupons to find out how shopping online could also save you time.

Give it some thought: What other things in your life can help with your work/family balancing act and not cost you anymore money?

Internet services to save your sanity

In this day and age many people are keeping their pictures and important files on their computer. Instead of photographs stored in photo albums or shoe boxes and a file cabinet full of documents and records, there are bursting hard drives.

That can be a good thing ’cause it’s easier to stay organized and saves paper. It’s good until something happens to the computer like a virus wiping out the hard drive or accidental deletion of some files. That can all be avoided with an online backup and online file storage.

With an ElephantDrive coupon computer users – business owners, stay-at-home moms, executives, teenagers and students – can test out the service for two months free with a one-year subscription. Registered business users of ElephantDrive are provided with solutions for automated backup and have secure access to their data. For home edition users there’s unlimited storage as well as the automated backup. It’s even the primary choice of IT professionals and that definitely says a lot about the service.

So instead of taking chances with a hard drive that may be attacked, a USB that could be loss or anything else in between, utilizing services like those of ElephantDrive may be the difference between a breakdown and a deep sigh of relief.

Save money, look beautiful

There are quite a few women who can’t leave the house without putting their face on, i.e., applying makeup. Some prefer the all natural look and take a few minutes to brush on light mascara, concealer and a tinted gloss. And others like to go out in full face including blush, eye shadow, base, powder,  eye liner mascara… the works.

One of the best places to get products like these, and so many more, is Just4Beauty.com, which is an online beauty resource. Just4Beauty deals are ongoing. Not only do they carry products that are regularly competivily priced, but they also frequently have deals and clearances including a $5 flat rate shipping.

Now that’s one price that shouldn’t be passed up. It’s also the perfect price that alleviates shopper’s guilt and can allow for some serious stocking up. Grab a few eyeliners, several new OPI nail colors, body and skin care products as well as a gift for friends or a little special something for the man in your life.

Whatever you need can be found at Just 4 Beauty. There’s not a moment to spare so get started shopping. Before you know it it’ll be time to get up and slap on your full face in order to step out into the world.

A little organization goes a long way

Before you know it Spring will be here and it’ll be time to get your home aired out and cleaned up. A great way to maximize on all of that cleaning is to get a little organizing accomplished at the same time.

One of the easiest ways to organize is to add bookshelves and cabinets to home offices and wall shelves to living rooms and bedrooms. The act of putting things on shelves or putting them away in boxes, baskets and cabinets will make a room seem more pulled together (as long as the shelves aren’t cluttered and messy) and get a lot of things off the floor and tables. Wouldn’t it look better if your favorite books were placed decoratively on a shelf instead of stacked on a floor or table?

For home offices, check out the Office Furniture N More coupons for bookshelves, desks and cabinets. Once you get all of your papers filed, magazines put away and books shelves, you’re sure to be more inspired to get work finished.

An organizational tip that professionals normally give is to ensure that everything has a place. You can help your family put things in place as soon as they walk in the door by placing a cute, stylish storage bench in your foyer. It’s the perfect place to perch to take off shoes, store scarves or hats and place items that you’ll need on the way out of the door the next day. Take advantage of the Just Storage Benches deal to get your bench.

Now Springtime will be even more special with everything in its designated spot. That’s organization at it’s best.

Get ready for Springtime

Being right in the midst of cold weather, it’s hard for some to envision Spring time, blooming flowers and longer, sunny days. But those days are right around the corner and it’s time for homeowners to start thinking about what they’ll do around the house.

If just a standard Spring cleaning is in order then it’s a perfect time to gather coupons and stock up on cleaning supplies. If indoor improvements are in order then it’s possible that new paint, hardware or cabinetry are on the shopping list and if the focus this Spring is on the yard then considering outdoor furniture is the way to go.

All Outdoor Benches coupon codes are now available for $10 off of any order over $75 and $15 off of any order over $150. Those deals – in addition to the on site special of free shipping on select merchandise – makes it the ideal time to get a bench (or two) for your yard.

Whether you’re looking for a storage bench, tree bench, backless bench or garden bench, AllOutdoorBenches.com has those and more. You can decide to change the style of your yard and find a bench to fit the new style or improve upon your current landscaping by adding the outdoor furniture. Whatever you need or want, it’s just a click away.

Don’t let the cold weather get you down, just think about how your yard will look when Springtime arrives. Instead of gripping your coffee cup for warmth and peering out of the window, you can venture outside to sip your coffee while enjoying the beauty of your yard.

That’s a fabulous way to welcome warmer weather.