Cards, notebooks and more

Yesterday's mail brought some cards I had made at Shutterfly.  They were having a deal to make Mother's Day cards, and with a code you could make three cards for free.  I made a Mother's Day one for my mom and two for birthdays next month. 

Then today I received two magazines I get free.  I totally love Family Fun.  So many neat ideas!

Then I received a win from a blog.  Will make a nice addition to a baby gift basket I'm creating for giving late summer! :)   (It's a bib and burp cloth in a Chinese takeout container with a toy on top.)

Finally, Fed Ex Ground arrived.  I had won some Carolina Pad notebooks from a differnet blog giveaway.  I love them.  They are so pretty.  I keep a journal, and have (almost) filled one up since December, so one of these will make a nice new journal for me.  (Having gone to a Christian school, the peace signs aren't my favorite design, didn't notice that when I entered for them.)  But still I love how pretty they are and I love the small ones.  I am hoping that I can go to Israel at some point, and I like a smaller notebook to use as a travel journal, and this will be perfect.

Yesterday I was playing an instant win online and won 10 minutes of free phone time.  Do many people use that anymore with the advent of cell phones?  I gave it away to someone who could use it.  I haven't seen a prize of phone time (unless it's a cell phone service plan) for years.

In the Dog House

Today brought me the book Dog House: A Love Story by Carol Prisant.  It isn't released yet, and it's an Advance Reader's Copy.  I agreed to read it and review it on a site, but I'll be sure and leave a review here on my blog when I've finished it.  It looks REALLY good, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Walgreens, CVS, etc.

My freebie day today:

Went to Walgreens and bought:

Skintamate Shave gel
Stayfree maxi pads
Hair trimmer.

I paid 95¢ after my coupon for the Stayfree and my Walgreens "Register Rewards".  I also got $11 to spend in Register Rewards next time I go in Walgreens.

Then I went to CVS to pick up my photo order.  I found a coupon last week for a free magnet and 50 free prints.  The clerk told me my pritns were in but they didn't make magnets (???) and she cancelled that part of my order.  I decided to call CVS photo and see if they'd send it to me, but she looked at my order and said the magnets are made by a vendor and will arrive in the store in 10 days or less.  I told her the clerk said she cancelled that part of my order and the lady I talked to at CVS photo corporate said it wasn't cancelled, so we'll see if it arrives.  (I'm going to give the magnet as part of Mom's Mother's Day gift.)  I picked up my photos no problem. 

I also received a $6 refund check in the mail today.

PLUS I was notified I won a blog giveaway over at http://www.gourmetmomonthego.com/  It is a "Fridge Makeover pack" which includes a $100 grocery store gift card, free tub of "I can't Believe It's Not Butter" and a disposable camera.  (Do people use those anymore?) 

Great day!  :)  Now I just need to get back into using coupons!  :)

My $121 Garage Sale Experiment

In November I did a special sign up deal with a new checking account and got a bonus of $121. I haven't spent that $121 and decided I'm going to see what I can buy with that at garage sales. I do sell some stuff on eBay, so hopefully I can make some money and get a bunch of useful stuff in the process. I'll be blogging about my finds, both good and bad.

It's not QUITE garage sale season here yet, so I hit a couple thrifts. Here's what I found ($8 spent):

a shirt I really like
2 local commemorative plates
1 crock (possibly Christmas gift for my aunt)



I figured that was it for the day. Well, I'd seen a wheelchair for $25 at a garage sale. I have been wanting one for mom for a while, but she doesn't like the idea. As it is, she has arthritis in her back and refuses to use a wheelchair because she says it's like giving up. I told her that it would be for occasional use only. Like when we were in Virginia Beach last year and we both wanted to see the National Aviation Museum, but we both missed it because she couldn't walk and I hated to have her sit in the car while I toured it. I told her just for mueums. (Which really is what it would be for at this point.)

Well, a few hours later she said if it was still there when we passed again, I could get it and she'd use it. It was, and as I walked up the porch, I asked the man, "Would you take $20 for the wheelchair?" He jumped up and was more than happy with $20.

He started showing me the features. I thought it was ye ole average wheelchair. The foot rests come off. The sides come off, and to make it easy to get in and out of a car, the wheels even pop off! Wow!

I THOUGHT he said to me it was $240 new. Mom thought he said it was $2400 new. I thought Mom was hearing things. I looked it up online and Mom was closer than I was. This wheelchair sells for. . .



(This isn't the exact wheelchair, but one almost like it I found online.)

And it sells for EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.

I'm so excited and I hope Mom will use it to do a few things. She rarely does anything now because she has such a difficult time walking and so she just stays home a lot. I hope this encourages her to do a little more! And of course if she doesn't, it's $20 spent.

The man was thrilled we bought it, and even said to Mom, "I'm glad it's going to a good person". (This was at an estate sale for his father. Estate sales are always sad, but the man seemed to really be happy that it will be good for Mom.) :)

So total spent so far this garage sale season: $28.