A magical Christmas

It is very early on Christmas morning and I can't sleep. Not because it's Christmas day, a day of high child-like anticipation for many, or because I have things to get done. All of my Christmas preparations have been done for quite some time. It's because I am in my ninth month of pregnancy and have finally hit the "uncomfortable" stage that many women can relate to. My night-times now consist of incessant trips to the bathroom, being too hot, being too cold, persistent heartburn, and a constant stiffness of my body. Any time I get out of bed, there's a heaviness in my lower abdomen as the baby weighs me down. As the baby gets stronger its movements are becoming more hurtful. It can really pack a wallop to my innards...thankfully for only a moment. But oh boy, does it feel like someone is punching me in the guts. I'm regulated to three sleeping positions...on my left side, on my right side, and sitting up when I get really desperate. I obviously can't sleep on my stomach because it squishes the baby and it pretty much physically impossible. I can't sleep on my back because the weight of the baby pushing down on my internal organs is too heavy. So I flop back and forth, from side to side like a fish. My hips, arms, and even ears, often get sore. My hands fall asleep within 2.2 seconds and tingle most of the night. Being nine months pregnant just isn't conducive to a good night's sleep. It's all in preparation for the sleepless nights ahead for the next several months. But I wouldn't trade it for anything because the reward when all is said and done is so precious...a child who will call me Mom. And if having that means losing sleep, I will gladly be dog tired for a short time in my life.

There is one thing in this pregnancy that I did not anticipate. And that has been the magical wonder of being nine months pregnant during the Christmas season. This has been a Christmas like none other for me. It puts the story of Christ's birth in a new light for me. I have heard the story of Christ's birth over and over and over and over again since I was a baby myself. Most people in America who celebrate Christmas know the "supporting cast" of characters surrounding the birth of Jesus. We see it acted out in church programs, we read about them in the book of Matthew and Luke, we sing about them in Christmas carols. We have Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph. And we have angles, King Herod, an inn keeper, shepherds, and a few wise man (sometimes referred to as Magi). But before all of that - before Joseph and Mary started making their way from Nazareth to Galilee, there were a couple of other people who are part of Jesus' story that have made an impact on me this Christmas; Elizabeth and Zechariah.

Even though it is Mary who is the pregnant woman we know the most about, it is Elizabeth's part in this wondrous story that has spoken to my heart over and over during my entire pregnancy. Elizabeth was a relative to Mary. Cousin? Aunt? Other relation? We don't know. But we know that the two women are related because the angel, Gabriel, says so. Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was going to have a child in her old age (Luke 1:36). So Mary hustled on over to Elizabeth's house to see her. And the first words from Elizabeth are to Mary and they are loud! "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (Luke 1:42-45)

Why can I relate to Elizabeth so much? I'm not sure, but I have loved her part in the story this year. She was about six months pregnant with her child, John the Baptist, when Mary came to see her. And she had nothing but enthusiasm when she saw Mary. She was anticipating not only her first child which caused her great joy, but she was also excited for Mary. Lots of excitement coming from this woman. I guess I'm kind of like that much of the time. I easily get excited over things - big and small. I often have great joy when other people have wonderful, life-changing news. My heart delights in the triumphs and successes of those I care about.

She was also carrying her own little miracle. We don't know how old Elizabeth was, but we know she had been barren and was "well along in years." I'm not exactly past my "child bearing years" but I was looking at the majority of them in the rear-view mirror. In fact, the day after I found out I was pregnant I had a doctor's appointment to begin the discussion of infertility treatments. Instead, we got to use that appointment to confirm that I was indeed pregnant. It was our own little miraculous slice of timing from God that we didn't know we would get to experience but that we treasure so much.

And finally, part of Elizabeth's story that speaks to me this year is when she says, "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." I have thought of that scripture many times throughout my entire pregnancy, once I could feel the baby move. Most of the baby's movements feel like it's "leaping" for joy. I've jokingly thought, "This baby must be privy to a lot of good news, because it often feels like it is leaping for joy!" I just love that feeling of my baby moving around. And I always imagine it is moving out of joy - not because it needs more wiggle room or its body is involuntarily moving because of reflexes. I know I have a joyous baby brewing inside of me! I just know it!

This is our last Christmas as a "twosome." Next year we'll have a child perhaps on the verge of walking...definitely a mobile child! One who will experience Christmas for the first time and not understand what is going on. So, I treasure these last few days of just me and my husband. We are bursting with excitement to be parents and get thrown into chaos, frustration, joy, and intense love...all of the the things that come with parenthood. We recognize these days are the calm before the storm and we are relishing them. It truly has been a magical Christmas for us this year!

I don't like fear (Part 1)

Remember when I used to blog? Yeah, I barely can remember either. But I have a story to tell! Now that it's fixed, and a few days behind me, I can blog about my mishap over a week ago. 

A couple of weeks ago we moved into a new house. We moved less than a mile from our old place, so we are QUITE familiar with the area. We live in a safe and quiet area, but even still...it was a new place to us.

My husband travels a lot for his job. But we went two months with no work on the road for him. It was nice to have him home that long. Once he left again for road, I hit a bit of a rough patch while adjusting to a new home without him. Before we were married, I lived all alone for five years. So when we got married and he moved in, it was no big deal when he was gone. I was totally used to being home all alone. But in our new house, once I was all alone, I was thrown for a bit of a loop. We had talked about putting new locks on the door and reprogramming the key pad to get into the garage before my husband left. But we ran out of time to get that done before he had to fly out. I was a little nervous because we didn't know who had the code to the garage or any spare keys that could have been floating out there. But I tried to convince myself it was fine and I would get by. 

On a Thursday morning, I brought Husby to the airport before going to the office. I was the last one to leave the house. My car was parked in the garage and he was loading up his luggage. I had my hands full with my work laptop I had brought home (I really need to get a bag for that thing), and my lunch was sliding around on the laptop. I had forgotten my lunch bag at work the day before so I had to carry in individual containers of leftovers. That night, I got home from work. When I pulled into the garage, it was very noticeable that the door that went from the garage to the house was open about 7 or 8 inches. Right away my mind went to, "Did someone use the garage code (that we didn't even know) to get in and was in the house? What am I walking into on the first night of Chip being gone?" Then I thought, "I'm sure I didn't get the door closed all the way this morning and it just popped open." I walked through the house with phone in hand, checking every closet. The coast was clear! No one was in the house. But I was a little creeped out. So I locked the knob on the door that went from the house to the garage. Just to feel a little safer since it was my first night in the new house all alone.

Let's fast forward to the next morning. I was in the shower and could hear a rumbling sound, like a big truck idling outside. Shoot! It was garbage day! And normally I would think, "Who cares...I'll put the garbage out next week." But I had called the garbage company a few days previously to switch out the container we had at the new place for a different sized container. So I had to get the garbage out on the street because it had to get emptied before they switched it out. So, I hustled to get out of the shower, threw on some clothes, slipped on some shoes and ran out the garage door with no glasses on and a wet head. I got the garbage out to the street on time, walked back to the house, closed the garage door and turned the knob to go back in the house. Locked. Apparently, in our new house, the knob can be locked and still opened from the inside, staying locked as you close the door. And I had forgotten that I locked it the night before. PANIC. I freaked out. I started praying out loud right away, pacing around like a mad woman, crying and saying, "No, no, no, no," over and over again. I had no way in the house. The front door was locked with a deadbolt. The patio door was locked. The windows were locked. Everything was shut up tight, as I had barricaded myself in the night before. We had two keys, both on our sets of keys in the house. We had not made any spares for family yet, as we knew that we would be changing the locks. And besides, I had no phone on me. It was...in the house. The only thing I could think of was to go to the one neighbor I had met, hope she was home (or even UP), ask to use her phone, and call my sister (the only local family member whose phone number I have memorized). I would then have to ask my sister to come and get me, take me to her house, and call a locksmith. But all of this would take time. I couldn't see a thing as I ran out without my glasses. And how much would it cost? I was very much in a panic mode. Out of desperation I started banging on the door, even though I knew it would do me zero good. Then I just threw all my pregnant weight into the door with my shoulder, reared back and hit the door again. Surprisingly, it flew open, breaking wood, ripping the latch plate off, and causing sheet rock to explode in my face as I burst through. What a relief. I was back in the house. I had to sit down to calm myself down and assess my shoulder. I was fine. But I kind of destroyed the door jam. The knob would no longer latch, but luckily the door was heavy enough to stay shut. Today my father-in-law and brother-in-law came over to fix it and put on a new door knob that we bought for both the front door and the garage door last Friday night when Husby was back home. And we added a deadbolt to the garage door. My favorite thing about our new door knobs? When they are locked, the handle won't move, so you have to unlock it, even to get out. No more turning a knob, leaving the door locked, and shutting it behind me.

The damage I did to the door frame.

At least the trim was still intact. But the plate for the latch is somewhere on the floor.

The piece of door jam I broke off as the door flew open and the plate for the latch.

So, that's how I sabotaged myself. The whole thing was my fault from beginning to end. I was the one who didn't get the door shut all the way so it was open when I got home. I was the one who locked the knob from the inside. I was the one who forgot about the garbage pick up. I was the one who shut the locked door behind me. I was the one who rammed the door open with my shoulder. I don't like fear. It causes too must stress.

Soon I'll post part two of my run in with fear last week. The way I dealt with fear the second time was a different approach. 

Michelle's "Friends" themed bridal shower

A couple of Saturday's ago my sister, Laurie, and I threw a personal bridal shower for our younger sister, Michelle. Michelle LOVES the TV show "Friends." That may be an understatement. She has seen every episode in the 10 season run dozens of times. Before she was even engaged, I knew that I wanted to throw her a "Friends" themed personal shower with her girlfriends.

Here are the details!

I sent out the invatations a few weeks before the party. The front had a picture of a lobster and said, "Michelle has found her lobster! And she needs her FRIENDS to help her celebrate!" The inside had details about the shower and bachelorette party. Then on the back there was a picture of the cast of Friends that appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" in their second season.

Michelle knew there was a theme, but we kept it a secret.  When she got there, she was excited to find out it was all about her favorite TV show!

The menu was all based on food that was featured on the show. I made labels for all the food (except I forgot the sign for the trifle!)

 

Monica's Amuse Bouche (cucumber stuffed with crab salad)

 

Phoebe's veggie plate with hummus ("Hummus! I got the hummus!")

 

 

Monica's tartlets ("Tartlets? Tartlets? Tartlets? The word has lost all meaning." These were small pie crusts with a cream cheese almond flavored frosting, with fruit on top. Laurie piped the frosting on there in a really cute way!)

 

 

 

Joey's hot ham and cheese sandwiches (sandwiches...Joey's favorite food)

 

 

Phoebe's Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies (It's her family's secret recipe)

 

Laurie made these yummy cookies!

 

Ross's salt water taffy (a gift from his girlfriend, Mona)

 

 

Rachel and Chandler's cheesecake (good enough to eat off the floor!)

 

This turtle cheesecake was graciously made by Jamie

 

Rachel's trifle (beef sauteed with peas and onions not included)

 

Strawberry trifle made by Laurie

 

Lemon water and Central Perk's mocha punch (the punch was basically coffee flavored melted ice cream with extra sugar added)

 

 

 

The decor was also "Friends" themed.

Laurie drew this great sign for the food table. She drew the frame that hung on Rachel and Monica's apartment door. Every name of each "Friends" episode started with "The one..."

 

Coffee beans with candles. Coffee was just SLIGHTLY a part of "Friends." :)

 

A candle in coffee beans, stacked on seasons of "Friends" on DVD. And of course, no "Friends" party would be complete without some reference to "Pivot!" We paid tribute by framing a couch with Ross's famous instruction.

 

The food table. We used tissue poms and balloons. The centerpiece was the "Friends" poster above the table.

 

Guitar standing next to the beverage cart.

 

The lyrics to that great American classic "Smelly Cat" were taped to the top of the guitar.

 

 

There was an episode of "Friends" where Monica and Rachel bet Joey and Chandler the apartment and they played a trivia game where Ross asked questions about them. The categories were; Fears & Pet Peeves, It's All Relative, Ancient History, and Literature. I asked the shower guests questions about Michelle in all of these categories and we had some good laughs.

 

In the course of 10 years, all of the "Friends" dated a lot of people. I gave the guests of 40 names and they had to write in the name of the "Friend" who dated them. Bonus points for identifying who made it down the aisle, bonus points for naming both "Friends" if more than one dated that person. Some of the names on the list were: Fun Bobby, Julio, Larry, Kristen, Janice, Mike, Joshua, Danny, and Ginger.

 

The prizes for the games were a coffee mug, salt water taffy, a Toblerone bar, and a pound of coffee.

 

Final touches were that we had episodes of "Friends" going on the TV (with the sound down) and we had the soundtrack on as background music.

 

Laurie and I are so grateful that we could gather Michelle's closest friends and honor her!

 

 



Coupon week 3 (and 4!)

I am a week behind in blogging my weekly savings! I could not find any time last week to document my savings the previous week. So, I'm lumping both weeks together in this post.

Week 3 was my best week of savings so far. I made one trip to Target and one quick trip to the Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree started accepting coupons a few months ago. But it can be a bit tricky because most coupons have a size restriction (usually only works on bigger sizes) and a lot of what Dollar Tree carries are smaller sizes of items. But, I had read on a facebook post that there was a new kind of peanut butter from Planters that a coupon worked for, so I ran to the local Dollar Tree to pick up a jar. I found the same size jar at Target for $3.59. At the Dollar Tree it's...a dollar! And I had a 75 cents off coupon. So I got a $3.59 jar of peanut butter for $.25. That's a 93% savings! Score.

My trip to Target saved me 46%! I bought 14 items. I got seven of those items both on sale and with a coupon. Highlight: Recently I discovered a Kraft product of a bread crumb and cheese mix to use on chicken. There are a few varieties and we really like them. The are $3.74 full price. They were on sale for $2.09 and I had a $1.00 off coupon. I got two packets for $1.09 each! That's a $2.65 savings per mix.

Highlight 2: I got three yogurts. Full price they were $1.29 each, but they were on sale and I had a coupon so I got three for $.68 a piece. That's almost 50% savings. Highlight 3: Pepperoni (which I love to put on salads) was $2.99 full price. It was on sale for $2.84 and I had a $1.00 off per package. I got two packages for only $1.84 a piece.

A little couponing tip to make the process as smooth as possible: I organize my coupons. I lump my coupons together in 3 categories; food, health, and beauty products. I bet you that you know the layout of the stores you frequently shop fairly well. Put your coupons in order of the layout of your store. That will make it faster to look through them as you shop. When I go to Target, I know that the health section is first, followed by grocery, and I do beauty products last.

This is what 44% savings looks like. My week 4 shopping trip to Target.
I got all of this for $47.99. I saved $38.14.

Week 4 had only one shopping trip all week and it was back to Target! My savings were close to week 3. As I shop with coupons more, I'm refining my system and my savings are increasing. Highlight 1: I use a lot of Lubiderm lotion in the winter. Man can that Wisconsin winter air dry me out! Full price the lotion was $6.29. It was on sale for $5.66. I also had a coupon for $2.00 off so I got the bottle of my favorite lotion for just $3.66. Happy day!

Highlight 2: There was a coupon in the paper for buy two Digiornio pizzas, get one free. Target also had a sale AND a special. The pizzas were on sale for $4.50 a piece (regularly $5.49 each). Plus, if you bought two pizzas you got a free 2 liter of pop. So I got 3 pizzas and a 2 liter for just $8.50...full price would've been $16.47. So I saved $9.76! Whoop!

Highlight 3: I had a coupon that was expiring the same day of buy one, get one free on razors. They were on sale for $4.99, instead of full price of $5.74. The coupon took off the "maximum" allowed price, which was $7.99. So I got 2 packs of razors for a total of $3.49. And I am set on razors for a loooooong time. (I had a stash going already so now I have plenty stored up.)

Part of my savings on this shopping trip were from a $15 rebate I got in the form of a "credit card" when I ordered my contacts last spring. I forgot for a long time that it was in my wallet, but remembered it on this shopping trip. So that shaved $15 off the top of my total.

Savings of week three: $24.67
Savings of week four: $38.41
Total 2013 savings: $186.99

Coupon week 2

Last week I did some more shopping with coupons. I did a lot of shopping as I was low on several things. I wasn't as successful as the first week, but it's still adding up to savings!

If you have a Walgreens in your area, they have a rewards program you can sign up for. Each time you shop you either have them look you up by phone number or use your rewards card they can scan. With this program you 1) earn points which add up to $5.00, $10.00 or even $15.00 off your total purchases in the store and 2) you get savings you can only take advantage of if you are a rewards program member. I'm pretty sure CVS has a similar program, although I'm not as familiar with it because there isn't one in my town.

Target: purchased cough drops, toilet paper, toothpaste, juice, yogurt and a couple of other things. Highlight - we needed cough drops and there was a coupon in the paper for $1.00 off two bags. Bags were $1.17 each, so I ended up paying $.67 a bag. The cough drops will last us well into next winter. Highlight 2 - Toilet paper was regularly $2.44 for a 4 pack. It was on sale for $2.29 and I had a coupon for $.45. I ended up paying $1.84, which costs me $.46 a roll. Highlight 3 - I got a large tube of toothpaste that was $3.69 full price for $2.24. It was on sale for $2.99 and I had a $.75 coupon. I saved $1.45. Highlight 4 - a bottle of juice was $2.84 full price, on sale for $2.00, and I have a coupon for $.50. So I scored that for $1.50, which saved me $1.34 per bottle (I got two for a total savings of $2.68).

Walgreens: purchased tub cleaner, soup, Kleenex, deodorant, and Brita filters. Highlight - The filters were $22.99 full price and they were on sale for $14.99 (for a 3 pack). So I saved $8.00 - oh how I wished I would've had a coupon for that one! Highlight 2 - tub cleaner was $3.59 full price. It was on sale for $2.69. I had a $1.00 off coupon when I purchased two. So I paid $2.19 per can and saved $1.40 per can ($2.80 total). Highlight 3 - Kleenex was $1.39 per box. I bought three. Walgreens had a coupon where they were marked down to $1.00 per box. Then I had a manufacturer's coupon for $.55 off when 3 were purchased. So I paid a total of $1.63, which breaks down to just $.56 per box! That's a total savings of $2.49. We are getting a nice little stockpile of Kleenex. :)

I went grocery shopping at the local grocery store and my savings were abysmal. I had to buy some things we needed that were not on sale and I didn't have coupons for. Gasp! It was one of the worst grocery shopping trips I've had in a long time. No highlights to report here as I saved only 13%, instead of the usual 30%-40% I usually save at the grocery store, Target, and Walgreens.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond: my husband and I use electric Sonicare toothbrushes. My husband has had his for a long time (mine was a wedding shower gift almost 2 years ago). He mentioned a couple of weeks ago that his toothbrush was dying and it would soon be time for a new one. Well, what do you know - there was a manufacturer's coupon in the paper so I jumped right on that one. So, I took my "20% off one item" coupon I regularly get from BB&B, and my manufacturer's coupon and headed out to see what kind of a deal I could get. Okay, these stinkin' toothbrushes are NOT cheap. The are $89.99 full price! My 20% off coupon saved me $18 right off the top. Then the coupon from the newspaper was another $10 off. So I was sitting at $61.99. Then the toothbrush came with a shot at a $10.00 mail in rebate from the store. So, my final price was $52.99, with a savings of $38. That's 42% savings! Whoop whoop!

Savings this week: $76.93 (a big chunk of that was the Bed Bath and Beyond score)
Total 2013 savings: $123.91

Trying a little "couponing."

Okay, so one of my goals for 2013 is to get back on the blogging bandwagon! I fell off last autumn and finally feel ready to get back to it!

One obstacle I come up against while blogging is, "What do I want to write about?" I have such a hodgepodge of ideas in my head each day that I find it hard to narrow down the focus of what this blog should be. One area in my life that may help refine this blog a bit is my mission to save money while shopping.

I am NO EXPERT in "couponing." Far, far, far, far from it. And I will never be a "super couponer." Not by a long-shot. It's too intimidating! You will not find 50 rolls of toilet paper stashed around our house as we "stockpile." So, I'm approaching it a little differently.

For over six years, I had a second job with my own home-based business in direct sales. I sold products used to decorate homes and help women entertain guests in their homes. I would do home parties a few times a month where I would take my product and catalogs into homes and meet wonderful women. I really enjoyed it. But, the company I worked for closed its doors unexpectedly last year. And for the first time in several years, I found myself with just one job. And absolutely zero desire to get back into direct sales at this time.

With all of that extra income gone, and an unwillingness to pick up a second job, I started to think, "How can my husband and I adjust our household budget?" My answer: coupons. And so I approach couponing as a second job. I am willing to put a few hours in every week to see how much money I can save us on products we use and need. I just started this process a couple of weeks ago and it will probably take me a couple of months to refine my "system." But here's what I have going so far. Each week I get the coupons out of the Sunday paper. Each week I go to www.coupons.com to print coupons. Each week I go through the Target ad and the Walgreens ad to see what's on sale. Each week I go to www.target.com and print coupons. Then I get to work.

Here are my rules I follow:
1. Never clip a coupon on something we'll never use. I only clip coupons on items I've used in the past. Sure, there may be a great deal on Ensure Drinkable Meals, or Windex, or Gogurt. But that's stuff we never use. So I'm not buying it. That's just common sense.

2. I try really hard to use coupons on things we don't need immediately if they are also on sale. If I have a coupon, but it's something we don't need right away and it's not on sale, I'll pass it up. If I have a coupon for something AND it's on sale, you may see me do a happy jig right there in the aisle.

3. Whenever possible, I double up my coupons by using a store coupon (Target or Walgreens) AND a manufacturer coupon (from the paper or coupons.com).

As I continue to shop each week and use coupons, I'll include tips on what works for me. And I will track what I save each week. That's my goal. Coupons are pretty much like money, and the more you use them, the more money you keep in your pocket.

A couple of tips to get you going.
1. Find some or all of the following pages on facebook and "like" them. They post multiple times a day so it can get annoying, but they post helpful information that has saved me money, and even gotten me some free stuff in the past. The facebook pages I like are: Super Coupon Lady (probably the most helpful), Discount Queens, FabuLESSly Frugal (also super helpful), Frugal Freebies and Deals, Frugal Finders, Freebies and Deals, Adventures of a Couponista. Don't reinvent the wheel and do all the savings legwork - let these pages find them for you!!

2. Be willing to spend some TIME on preparing to shop. Menu plan and look through store ads so you know where to find the best deal.

3. I never, ever, ever, ever pay for price for the following: toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and conditioner, hair care products (mousse, hairspray), makeup, dish soap, or cereal. There are almost always coupons most weeks for all of these items.

Okay, let's get to it so you can see what the savings can look like!
My first week I shopped at Target and Walgreens. I saved $46.98 by using coupons, which was 32%of  my purchases.

At Target I purchased 2 greeting cards, kitty litter, "girl stuff" product, dryer sheets, dish soap, yogurt, two packages of napkins (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), two blocks of cheese, honey, and cashews. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased seven items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 7 happy jigs). I spent $32.95 and saved $13.24. That's 28% in savings, just by clipping a few coupons. Highlight: 3 yogurts for $1.50 (50% off).

At Walgreens I purchased mascara, two bottles of shampoo (and I'm now set for the rest of 2013), mousse, conditioner, hairspray, mouthwash (and we're now set for the rest of 2013), paper towels, toilet paper, Abreva, cold medicine, and another kind of cold medicine. I used a coupon on every product. I purchased nine items that were on sale with a coupon (that's 9 more happy jigs). I spent $65.60 and saved $33.73. That's 34% in savings. Highlight: Mouthwash that was $7.49, I scored for $3.49 and it's the brand my husband uses. I used a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. Second highlight: Abreva! It's for cold sores and I had just gotten one and was all out of my tube I purchased a couple of years ago. It was $19.99, on sale for $18.99 and I had a $3.00 coupon. So I saved $4.00 on something I really, really, really needed. Third highlight: my favorite conditioner was $4.49 full price, it was on sale for $2.50 and I had a $.50 coupon so I saved $2.49 and paid $2.00. Final highlight: 6 pack of paper towels were full price $6.99. They were on sale for $4.99 and I had a $.25 coupon. So I paid $4.74, which comes out to $.79 a roll!

Savings so far in 2013: $46.98.