Eleven in 11: Evaluating July

Uhhhhhhhhh! I am such a slacker this summer. I'm honestly just so exhausted from the four-day work week. I enjoy the Fridays off, but I've mostly been using it to recover from the four-day work week! Class has gotten a little crazy, and I'm very excited that tomorrow is the FINAL! Woohoo! I love my students, but the 12.5 hours on Tue/Thur are brutal.

The breakdown:
1. Volunteer opportunity- Still volunteering for SASC. Also, had a debate meeting with my CHS ladies. Hopefully we can get these kids into shape so they can debate at state this year!
2. The weight loss one- Stuck in a rut. Not gaining, but not losing. If I could just get back to tracking the WW pts again and hitting the gym more. We did start doing Pilates at home and I can feel a difference!
3. Plan and take honeymoon- We went to Amelia Island. Collectively, Tim and I decided that we simply didn't ever have a honeymoon. While the trip was a FABULOUS trip, it just wan't a honeymoon. We missed the boat 3 years ago, and it isn't something you can just have 3 years late. It's ok though, we still loved vacationing! You can see our recent trip photos from here and here.
4. Trying four new recipes- Slacker again. But, I did make Ricotta Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins. VERY YUM!

5. Blog three times a week- Still kind of slow.

6. Student loan- Check!

7. Savings!- Check! I think I've actually exceeded my goal :) But, we're thinking about venturing into home-buying, so I need to keep it up.

8. Read 52 books- I'm awful.

9. Facebook birthdays- I have done very well with this I think!

10. Visit 12 new restaurants- We went to Mandarin Cafe, and I decided NOT to blog about it...because it was soooo awful...

11. Etsy- Consider this one failed too.

I'm going to come out of this goal-achieving slump and do it up BIG in August!

The Art of Couponing...

So, I've been inspired. I want to learn the art of couponing. Especially when I hear these grand stories of how people get $100 worth of stuff for a dime. If you have any tips or suggestions please feel free to comment.

Currently, I'm following a friend's blog, Jaclyn's Couponing Journeys and I've read a lot about Southern Savers. 

Another friend recommended I join inbox dollars.

It sounded a little weird at first, but I'm giving it a try. I don't use it to play games or whatever. I don't even fill out all the crazy surveys that ask you for your address. What I am interested in are the features that allow you to earn cash back for using coupons you print there, and the online shopping cash back. One of their stores is Express and Tim and I purchase online there once or twice every few months. They give you 4% cashback. I can see that as being somewhat productive. I'll let you know how it goes.

One good tip I've been using for a long time now is this: sign up for newsletters. Create a separate email JUST for email offers. Especially with clothing stores like Express, NY&Company, The Limited, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, etc etc etc. I log in to that email anytime before I go to shop and print away the savings.

So yeah, let's hear those tips!