Mother of the Year

True story/confession. I went to CVS to buy 2 medications for my kids.  As I was making my way to check-out, I got distracted by the make-up section. After much deliberation, I picked up 2 items.  I had a beauty discount coupon so I thought I would calculate if it was really saving me money or not. Anyway, after taking out the coupon and my CVS card from my wallet, I started walking to the cashier with only 2 of the 4 items in my hands. Guess which two?

Answer: Beauty items, not the medications. Luckily I remembered and hurried back to the shelf before I was actually in line!

Surprisingly, I’m one of the moms who feels the least guilt for working.  I miss them like crazy and I feel all kinds of emotion for not always being available, but guilt, not so much.

Waste Not, Want Not?

Earth Day is around the corner (April 22nd) which always makes me confront my horrible wasteful ways.   While many people connect simple living with green living, that hasn’t been my personal experience. I just find being wasteful much easier.  Isn’t it easier to just dump those batteries and cans in the trash? It’s definitely easier to use the dryer than hang things on a line.  

Every so often though, I try to be more “green”.  For me, that isn’t not only about buying organic cotton or recycled goods; it’s about consuming and wasting less.

The Good:

• Recycling plastic / cans:  My husband and I used to recycle regularly.  In recent years, we’ve been giving our recyclable cans/bottles to a cleaning person at my work or cleaning person/nanny.  We don’t get the money but we don’t have to haul it away either and it’s win-win for all.
• Paper: I am trying to write notes/lists on the back of used office paper. 
• Baby Clothes/Stuff:  We’re good at donating gently used baby stuff to other parents.  We also buy used clothes in general.
• Using What We Have:  I’ve had some success with using containers and bags that we already have around the house.   Also,  reading Your Money or Your Life has encouraged me to think before I buy.
• Recycling home batteries (like Duracell, etc):  Most businesses only accept rechargeable batteries for recycling.  We were lucky that several Jiffy Lubes in Southern California actually accept and recycle these (AA,  AAA, C and D cell).  Battery toxins include mercury, nickel and leadI just think it’s important to recycle these; when they’re dumped in the trash, these toxins pollute water systems and increase levels of lead and acid in the environment.
• Buying Organic:  We can’t afford to go all-organic but we do try to buy organic meats, eggs, milk and some fruits/vegetables.
• Less meat?:  We don’t feel like we have to eat meat at every meal.  However, this is not something I’m actively tracking so I’m not quite sure how we do on this.
• Green cleaning: We find that vinegar and baking soda does the job in most cases.  We also use greener laundry detergent.  We can still improve on this but I’m happy that we are breathing less/no toxic fumes!
• Magazine recycling: I’ve been reading way too many fashion and design magazines. However, I give them away pretty quickly. That way, I am not too tempted.  I figure that sharing them among a few co-workers or friends prolongs their shelf life at least.

The Bad & Ugly

• Paper (again):  We use paper plates.  My love of pretty notebooks is fighting with my desire to not waste paper.  I print things out way too much.
• Recycling Medications: Not doing this even though I know that improper disposal of medications are a major environmental problem. I read that CVS pharmacy offers an environmentally sound disposal system but I have never seen any signage when I’m there.  Must check this out (and remember to do this…)
• Diapers: No cloth for us!
• Gas: No carpool partner in sight + long commute.
• Dryer:  We dry clothes all the time.
• Plastic bags: We used to be better about bringing our own grocery bags to stores.
• More Pre-made foods = more trash?  I would assume that when you cook less and use more pre-packaged goods, you end up with more waste.

Are you very environmentally conscious?  I’d love to hear your best green living tips.

June 15: Simple Living Guide to Drugstore Deals

Every Wednesday, I’ll (try) to post up a Simple Living Tip, with an emphasis on tips that can be done while living a more traditional 9-to-5 life. 

If you truly value your time, couponing and playing the drugstore game is not for you.  Some people say it only takes a few minutes to clip coupons and scour drugstore ads for the best deals but it can really add up.  To effectively save, you need to scour the weekly ads, try to take advantage of the best sales and keep track of your drugstore rewards (CVS Extra Bucks, Rite Aid UP Rewards, etc..).  I’ll start with my best “simple living” tips for those who really don’t want to spend time clipping coupons but want/need to save money:

1. Go generic. Unless you have very good coupons, generics are generally cheaper.  From my experience, there is a wide range of good, generic products out there.  While I tend to be more brand-loyal on foods and toothpaste,  I’ve gotten generic paper towels, diapers, hand sanitizers, OTC medications, hand soap, etc..  Among generics there are variations in quality.  I like Target generics for household goods and I found a few good generic food items from Vons and Fresh & Easy. 
2. Try Amazon.com / Subscribe & Save.  Amazon has a great program called Amazon Mom that offers great deals plus free shipping on diapers, wipes and other baby products.  Membership costs $79/year but is free for the first three months and then up to one year if you make qualifying purchases, not difficult to do if kids are going through diapers and wipes.  Even if you don’t have kids, check out their “Subscribe & Save” items.  Deals are not always the best but I’ve a bundle on imported coffee, Brita water filters and assorted household items. UPDATE: Amazon Mom changed their program in late 2011/2012 and now the deals are not so great.
3. Buy household goods, cleaning supplies, lotions and cosmetics at Walmart, Target or Costco.  Unless there is a sale plus coupons, you’ll generally get better prices at these stores than at supermarkets or the drug stores.

Now if you are determined to get free toothpaste and want to use your time for couponing, here are some tips. I’m not the best at couponing because I don’t roll over my rewards over and over and I don’t want to hoard items but I have learned a thing or two over the years:

1. Go to couponing websites like Couponmom.com instead of looking through individual store’s weekly ads. It’s easier to check out deals this way and you can search for a specific item.
2. Use online coupons. There are a lot of reputable sites  for downloading and printing coupons even if you don’t get the Sunday papers. Plus on Couponmom.com, they list print-able coupons next to the sale items, making things even easier.
3. Stick to one drugstore for rewards.  For a time, I tried going to CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid but now I generally stick to Rite Aid because it’s conveniently located near my house and work.  It’s easier to accumulate reward points at one store and not have to track deals.
4. Bring ads to Walmart; They match prices.  Rather than run to a drugstore for an advertised sale item that is often out of stock, bring that ad to Walmart.  They will match the sale price and you don’t have to waste time/gas driving.

Plus, a last word on drugstore “etiquette”: Try not to clear the shelves of advertised sale items.  There’s nothing illegal about it but it’s really unfair to other shoppers. Even if you give it away to friends & family, it’s not fair to those who do take the time to seek out deals.   

Is couponing and the “drugstore game” the antithesis of simple living?  If you do play the drugstore game and have additional tips, please share!