Comparison Cell phone Shopping Made Easy

On my daughter's thirteenth birthday, my husband and I decided to get her a cell phone. I went to several different cell phone stores - AT & T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and some other names that I can't remember... Every store I went to had a line - I had to wait 32 minutes just to ask a simple question. What frustrated me the most was the fact the sales person could not answer my simple question - I wanted a plan that was cheap but could get my kid unlimited texting and a enough minutes to call me each month if she needed to .. The sales person gave me a generic mock up of fees with a bunch of add -ons... I wanted a simpler answer... I am too busy to stand around and I was getting pretty ticked off... I ended up buying her a pay as you go phone - and ended up paying double what I would have spent if I had just gotten her a plan...

As you know - I am the ultimate discount shopper - Anything that can save me money on the things I need - I'm there... Anything that can do the comparison shopping for me even better.... One of the best sites I have found for cell phone plans comparison is Billshrink.com. Bill Shrink is not affiliated with any one company so their comparisons are unbiased. The service is free too!

You really can find the cheapest cell phone plans on Bill Shrink - You answer a few questions about what you want in a cell phone plan and next thing you know - you have is a laundry list of different providers and their prices.. The average customer savings is $1500 - seriously... I know I can go a major shopping spree with that kind of savings...

One the great things about Bill Shrink is that the company does not make money unless we save money... How many companies can really say that? Bill Shrink has been promoted on CNN and ABC. The end result after working with Billshrink is that my daughter and I have a new plan with T-Mobile - 2 phones - 600 minutes - unlimited texting - free T-Mobile to T-Mobile calling and I have Internet on my phone... oh and we both got new phones to boot.. My husband has a company phone so we did not need to add him on.... Next year my youngest will turn thirteen and I am guessing -I'll be checking out Billshrink again...

Frugal Family Target Shopping

I have learned in my "old" age the value of money... I have learned it does NOT grow on trees like I once believed.... I have also learned the importance of being prepared for that rainy day... that unexpected twist in our lives...

Almost two (2) years ago I had a major wake up call. After 23 years of working his way up the corporate ladder and achieving much success as a VP of Sales - my husband's company was bought out by another company and all the VP's were terminated...... I remember the morning that my husband walked in the door and told me he had been fired like it was yesterday.... I seriously thought he was joking.... No one with his track record gets fired.... not possible - especially after he landed the largest contract the company had ever negotiated a few weeks prior... ..

I think the four months that my husband was unemployed - I was in a bubble.. I was neither afraid or sad.. I just was... there... I did learn that he depended a lot more on me than I realized.. I learned that I was the rock in our marriage... our life.... in that season of our marriage.

I know that Dusty (my husband) was in a state of shock.... bad things never happen to him... He had always been blessed with the golden touch.. This upset in his life made him question his worth.. His normal very self assured personality had diminished... He was for the first time in his entire life scared..... What I find amazing is that I was not scared... I knew that we would be okay.. I also believed that Dusty would get a job very soon.. I did not think about our friends who had lost jobs and a year had gone by with no prospects.... I did not fear.... I did have peace... and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt the peace did not come from me...

We have always been a frugal family - always paying off our credit cards each month, paying cash for cars and such, and paying extra on our mortgage payment. I thought I was doing all that I could do to save money..... until I discovered coupons and Target grocery shopping.. In my quest to stretch our dollars - I have had great time saving money with coupons....

Today shopping at Target - I saved$15.75 with normal groceries I purchase.... I love to take my kids shopping - I sent them on a scavenger hunt looking for the items that I have coupons for... I don't do it every time.. Just often enough for it to be fun every time.. The shoppers get a kick out of watching my kids pose with their coupons and found items... Today was fun.... After the shopping - I received a coupon to buy one pizza get the 2nd free... So guess what my kids had for lunch???

Today my husband is working - I am working from home... We have a learned not to take our careers for granted... we have learned to live more modestly... We have learned that God will Always provide.. We have learned that there is a time for each of us to be the strong one in the marriage... and we have learned that Target's prices beat out most super market prices...

Birthdays and Fashion

Today, my friend Carole celebrated her birthday.... we celebrated with her by shopping at one of her favorite woman's stores.. Dress Barn.. We all gathered for snacks and shopping. In celebration of her birthday - everyone at the party enjoyed 15% off their purchases..
I thought this was a great idea. A great way for a group of friends to relax, visit, and shop. I bought a very cute skirt...
Happy Birthday, Carole!

The Target Scavenger Hunt

Many times I have shared that I love love love Target and so do my kids. Well, when they are shopping for themselves.. Dusty's parents...my kids grandparents gave the girls the ultimate gift... Target gift cards. They received them Friday night and they were ready to jump in the car for a shopping spree..who cares if it was 9:30 at night!!!
Well I had my own Target shopping to do as well... I was itching to use my 10% for the whole day discount and the coupons I had accumulated.. Did you know that my 10% coupon can work with Target gift cards too? More bang for the buck I tell you...
The girls were raring to go buy up all they could with their $20 gift cards.... they did not want to wait while I got my shopping done.. so I decided to have some fun with it. I created the "I've Got A Coupon Scavenger Hunt" I gave each of the girls a bunch of coupons and told them to find the item and the first one who collects all their stuff wins..... Good thing the girls are extremely competitive like their mom so this became a fun time.....except for the fact I had my handy dandy camera with me and decided to take pictures....Kara my youngest is the world's biggest ham so she thought this was great.... Nikki the moody teenager...well, decided to humor me.. check out her facial expressions......Priceless...

My Discount Target Shopping List!

As you know, I love to shop at Target.... Yesterday I received in the mail my 10% off everything for a whole day card....Yipppeeee.... and I have a ton of coupons to add on to my savings... This is so much fun.... If you are not getting the Sunday paper..you gotta start... I tell you ...you just gotta... Here are my deals for this shopping spree.....
Scott Natural paper towels $1.00 off
Scott Natural bath tissue $1.00 off
Glade plugIns buy 2 $1.00 off
Glade oil warmer buy one - get one free
Coppertone Nutrashield $1.50 off - great product
Coppertone product $1.50 off
Reynolds wrap $.55 off
Hefty waste bags $1.00 off
Pedigree dog food $1.50 off
L'Oreal mascara or any eye product $1.00 off
L'Oreal hip eye shadow, liner or mascara $2.00 off - Nikki loves this!
Litehouse bleu cheese dressing $1.00 off
Texas Toast $.50 off yummm
Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner $2.00 off - kid's favorite
ThermaCare (yes again - I'm old) $1.00 off
Lawry seasons buy 2 $.50 off
Grands Pillsbury $.30 off
Bryers Ice cream buy 2 $1.00 off
Energizer batteries $1.00 off
Kellogg's cereal any one box $1.00 off
Treetop apple sauce buy two $1.00 off
Star red wine vinegar $.50 off
Trail mix Crunch Cranberry Vanilla cereal $1.00 off - hubby will be so happy
Green Giant frozen vegetables buy two $.50 off
Bisquick $.60 off
Clorox Clean up $.75 off
Ziploc bags $.55 off
Pine sol $.50 off
All items above can be purchased at Target - Now combine Target with their everyday lower prices, my coupons, and my All Day 10% off Coupon my savings exceeds... - $33.25 savings!!!
Know what else came in this week's Sunday paper? Discounts for Knott's Berry Farm save $22 per person up to 6 people....Nikki wanted to go to Knott's for her 13th birthday in June and now we can! Savings for 4 of us $88!... and Boston Market - my favorite "fast food" has a buy one get one free meal this week....One night of no cooking.. Yeah for me! and one last thing. Pick up Stix has a buy one get one free entree.....I'm thinking I just might have to surprise one of my kids.. or both for a Pick up Stix lunch..hmm quality time together and saving money...What can a mom ask for?