I think I'd like to start blogging today, though I haven't really spent much. I was also surprised at the unique hits, 97 on my first day. Wow? What I meant to say is, thanks alot, to visitors and to the people who commented.

$2 for a donation on Friday (Some mental disease that my friend asked to support her walk) - I think my aunt has that disease, a bit much when she first asked me...$5, I don't have that kind of money.
"Ask the teachers." - I said.
My mother: "Why didn't you say that you don't have a job?"
I was about to give her $1 because I thought of my mentally-ill aunt, then she saw me reaching for my wallet, so I gave her $2. (A $5 note was sticking out too - I only had around $10 for pocket money, I'm left with around $7 now.) Don't get me wrong! I'm not cheap, right now my mom's been out of work, she quit her job so money isn't really enough right now.

Onto more happier news:

And the prize I have been waiting for at the Staples Rock Your Locker website...A free Jumbo Book Sox! - Book Sox are $4.99, I think jumbo ones cost even more. I'm so glad because I have been reusing my book sox(s) for two years. I hate cutting book covers from shopping bags! I'll redeem it on Monday. I need to check the coupon policy for Staples too. *Makes note*

Now for the REAL entry. (What I was planning on blogging today.) I read some articles on the savingadvice website and because I'm a newbie to "real" couponing, I found it fascinating at how couponing has grown. I still feel a bit out of my age range because of the comments on my last entry. *Sorry* I guess it's good to start early!

Some of the articles were interesting, and a bit odd. I liked these articles, they kept me up until 3:00 A.M to finish:

http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2007/01/31/101138_the-coupo...
The Coupon Lady - My mother does this also.

http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/
Grocery Coupon Guide - Wonderful tips.

http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2006/08/04/10756_learning-f...
Learning From the Pro - Really helpful.

http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2007/09/06/101747_how-nudis...
How Nudism Can Save you Money - Strange.

http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/grocery-articles/2575-exp...
Give Grocery Coupons To New Life - Very heartwarming.

And all those articles and more have inspired me to write my little own article. Usually when I shop, I usually know what the prices are and when it's cheap by asking my mom. She does 100% of the shopping of our groceries and other items.

I'm usually better in the school supply department. My mother does not really care how much we spend, because she said education's important, she doesn't mind. I wish I could find my Staples receipts so I could add up my savings but I don't think it's possible now.

For me, there is NOTHING like the smell of NEW paper, it's strange but I really like it. (Putting my Global Warming ethics aside for a bit,) there are a couple of guidelines that I follow when I shop for school supplies and they are:

1) Looking for Quality - This goes especially for paper, I hate cheap and wide-ruled paper that basically rips at the contact of your pencil or eraser. This goes for pencils and erasers as well, I remember purchasing school supplies at Walgreens and it was so cheap that I told mom to sample it before we buy in bulk - We bought it in bulk anyway and the quality was terrible, the lead was light and the erasers were better off as decora pencil toppers. - Lesson learned.
Now, I don't care HOW cheap those things are, quality is first. Of course, quality can come cheap. :]

2) Name of the Store - I usually go to Staples, I love this store, it's a one stop deal, and if I can't find what I'm looking for I'll try my convenience/drug store like Brooks/Rite-Aid and CVS. believe it or not, these overpriced dudes had good deals this year!

3) Shopping at least a week ahead - Usually, I get good deals at Staples DURING the first week of school weekend rush, but I found out that around a couple weeks before, there are some better deals, I got some Crayola (I hate Rose Art, it should DIE) color pencils and markers for around 30-69 cents this year. I also got a 6 pack of one subject notebooks for 54 cents. Regular folders for 5 cents (though I know teachers can get it for a penny...) Some sharpies (4 pack) and highlighters (8 pack I think) for 99 cents. Composition notebooks were 99 cents (2 pack). Avery 1 inch binders, 4 for 6 bucks.(unit price $1.50.)
33 cents (last year was 25 cents) for the soft cover binders. Paper wasn't as cheap, it was 54 cents a pack.
However, when the paper went on sale 15 cents a week before school, my mom was furious when it was advertised on TV. (It was tax-free weekend when I did my school shopping.)

Overall, I think they were pretty good deals. I spent around $28 for a cartload of school supplies. ...That was a bit of a tangent. Oh and, did I mention the benefit of avoiding hoards of people during back to school shopping week.

Basically that's all there is to it in terms of school shopping for me. I know some articles recommend buying in bulk, but I don't use that much and I have no space for it. I think it would be more beneficial to teachers.

AND might I add school bookbags had a HUGE price increase. I couldn't believe it when I saw a $50 backpack that wasn't even well-made for comfort and stability. Mom bought my first Jansport book bag this year. She said it was for around $35 at Macy's - Sale + Coupon, $50 originally.

Back to Rite-Aid and CVS, my mother got some of my favorite mechanical pencils with a buy one get one free deal. It's usually expensive ($7.99 at Staples,) but it was on sale for $5.99 round it to $6, with the buy one get one free deal it's $3 each. Same goes for the lead. Might I add lead to the quality too, I don't care if it's cheap at the dollar store for mechanical pencil lead, I can't stand when my pencils break and when the lead doesn't deliver. We stocked up. :]

I'm going to end it here. I think my friends will die from reading this. -Edited.