Thanks to me? No, thanks to you....

So, I bought this shirt from Academy.  It's OD green (olive drab), and on the front, it reads, "Believe in Heroes."  It's a great shirt from The Wounded Warrior Project.

I was deet-dee-dee through Academy one day, and happened upon the shirt and the saying on the front caught my eye.  So I flip it across the back, and one warrior is carrying another.  I love this shirt.  It's a guy's shirt, and it's fairly large, but it's cool.  It's lightweight, feels nice, and it means something.  (If you read some posts back, I've decided that I want my consumerism to count for something....so from now on, if I purchase a shirt/clothes/jewelry at full price, I prefer to buy something that might make a difference somewhere else...)

Anyway, since I've bought this shirt, no kidding, I've had people come up and thank me for wearing/purchasing/supporting the troops.

I'm thinking to myself, "Seriously?  You're thanking me for wearing a shirt?"

So I tell them, 'Thank you'.  I tell them I have friends and family that have served, and although I don't really believe in some of (most of) the crap that the government does, that I do believe in the people that commit themselves to the armed forces and that I thank them for their civic service.  I know that they don't choose to go to war, I don't like war, but I know that they wanted to do something for themselves or for honor or for patriotism.  So I'm happy to do what little bit I can in whatever way I can.

I appreciate the fact someone noticed, but really, my thanks goes out to the soldiers, who do what I cannot.  Who idealistically fight for what they believe in, even if government doesn't always have their best interest in mind. For the young, because face it, most of those that command in the field average between 18-25.  We have some seasoned soldiers, true, but there are people out there fighting that can't even get a beer.  That should be deeply disturbing to people.  They won't even really be considered adults, but they're dying for our country.

Thank you, to those in service, to those that have served, and those who will serve.  Thank you.

Now, goys and birls, there are strange things that go on in our day-to-day world.  And, I kid you not, couponing is one of them.  I have to say, I am getting a rather morbid interest in this.

Now remember, I've worked on both sides of the fence of retail.  As a shopper, and as an associate of a large corporate evil chain delivering food, or various goods, or food AND various goods. I have seen women take HOURS at the registers counting coupons, checking dates, and perusing over their little folder as they pick through them, looking for what they want.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS BRIGHT AND HOLY, CAN'T YOU GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER BEFORE YOU GET IN LINE?

At least, that is what Evil Kathy does, sitting on my shoulder, casually hangng from my ear and screaming in a voice that sounds totally not unlike a fog horn (I think my brain borrowed the demonic sounding voice from the frontman of the band Green Jello...((yeah, if you can't remember the band, don't worry about it)) and it really, really grates on my brain).  So I watched the cashier as this horrid little thing bounced up and down on my right shoulder, giving me a crick, yelling at the evil woman, how she had to turn every coupon over to make sure it was the product, then to make sure it wasn't a fraud (how the FUCK do you tell a fake printed coupon from a home printed coupon, being most fakes ARE home printed coupons???) and only then did she scan it.  Those slips of paper probably got more action than a 40 year old virgin in a house of ill repute.

So, as I am carefully shopping my items, I pile the coupons that I am using in one spot.  I check, double-check, re-check, triple-check and do what I can to make sure that I read exactly what the coupon says and buy it as the coupon reads.  That way I don't waste peoples' time and or my own.

Anyway, I just needed to vent about the evil woman.  She gets paid either way, so a few coupons shouldn't matter.

One note for fun....

So, as I'm doing this 'trying to save money' thing with coupons and offers, I found this interesting company that makes condoms.  If you're artsy, they have a contest to design their condom wrappers.  It's kinda cool.  If you graded it like coffee, they'd be the Starbucks of Condoms. :)  Hip, trendy, cool.

http://onecondoms.com/design/contest/index

What kind of cool designs can you come up with?

change ups....

Okay...lots of change-ups abound.

Firstly, they've moved me in the office.  So I'm at the front desk.  This doesn't bother me.  It helps me get some of these items organized that need to be organized, I get to sort what needs to be sorted, scan, copy, and my butt is parked right next to the printer.  Good thing - the front office doesn't swelter like the back corner office, I get to learn new jobs, and meet more people.  Bad things - well...we'll talk about that.

Now, I cannot say that when people look at me that it doesn't irritate me if they assume that I'm hispanic.  I don't have anything against hispanic people, the two ladies that I work with that are hispanic are totally frigging awesome.  But when people assume about me, they immediately begin speaking to me in spanish.

So politely, I generally say, "I'm sorry, I don't speak spanish."  Or I say, "I'm sorry, I didn't understand."  I say both phrases in english.  What pisses me off is when they continue to speak to me in spanish.  Or when I give them instructions in english, they perfectly understand me, but cannot even make the attempt to say 'Okay, thanks' or anything like that.

REALLY?

Yes, I don't speak more than one language.  No, I don't expect you to understand everything I am saying if english isn't your first language, but it would be nice if you at least made some sort of gesture or acknowledgement that you did, in fact, understand me.

Anyway, had to get that off my chest.

In other news, we are working on trying to be smarter with our shopping, save money, coupon, and generally get into better habits.  I am going to start keeping a talley of costs and things.  So here were the numbers from last week:

Coupon savings: $38.31

'Specialty card' and coupon savings total: S57.28 

So, for our first week out, our first real 'couponing session' and without a stockpile that usual extreme couponers have, I think that's pretty good.  Now, I don't see myself becoming an 'extreme couponer', but the fact we're saving some money makes me feel better.  I'm hoping that we get to a point that our 'savings' can be pulled out of the account anyway and then put towards maybe family vacation funds or stuff, but we will see.  Baby steps, kids.  Baby steps.

So any ideas from you guys would be SO appreciated.  (Aren't you happy I'm blogging again?)  Tips, tricks and things - totally.

Today is gonna be a good day, Tater....

SO......

Due to the Budget Savvy Diva's stuff and a cool friend of mine, I won a free pizza today from Dominos!  It kinda makes me feel cool.  SO...I'm gonna post the pics for you....

And....all for the mere cost...

Good luck to you in your bargain-hunting, but it was just my freebie of the day, so I wanted to gloat a little. :)