Smile! You're Saving Money

I'm getting better at this posting thing! In fact I feel a little bad if I don't post something weekly!

Last week was a super successful shopping/couponing trip! I hit 4 grocery stores and spent $230! At Smith's Marketplace alone, I watched the bill go from $260 down to $125! Yippee!!! I love couponing! Some of my spoils included:

10 boxes of toaster strudels
18 chex mix
8 Bugel snack bags
8 boxes of Betty Crocker
gushers, fruit by the foot, fruit roll-up
6 gallons of milk
8 loaves of bread
6 lbs. of chicken breast
7 packs of Yoplait yogurt delights
1 pack of trix yogurt
2 lbs. fresh deli turkey meat
2 40 oz. boxes of Bisquick pancake mix
12 cans Progresso soup
15 cans tuna
6 boxes of Texas Toast ciabatta bread or
cheesy bread sticks
24 rolls of toilet paper

And of course there were other things like diapers, cooking oil, croissants, fresh fruits and vegetables, paper towels.... to name a few more, It was just so fun to reap the rewards of couponing!

In our home, we currently have an abundance in cereal, around 40+ boxes, paper towels, toilet paper, Fabreze, laundry detergent, bbq sauce, Chex, toothpaste, deodorant, pancake mix, fruit snacks, tuna, frozen chicken, salt, ketchup, sugar and I can't think of the rest......

Our family eats better with couponing. Not to mention we eat a wider variety of foods because we're always trying new stuff. Some of the things were hooked on now is Silk soy based milk-- vanilla and chocolate flavor. I love this stuff because it's loaded with a lot of vitamins and has 50% more calcium than regular milk. We also can never go back to regular potato chips or Dorito's. We've fallen for kettle baked potato chips-- any brand really as long as it's kettle cooked.

In more news, out home is getting more and more energy efficient! I guess it all started with the purchase of a brand new refrigerator a few months ago when our old one checked out. But we had Right Now Heating and Cooling in Idaho install a water heater, heat pump, and power box this last weekend. Now what is a heat pump? A power box, well, I'll give you my own definitions then I'll post some links...

Heat pump-- it is a secondary source of heat. Not to be used as main source or backup, just works with your furnace to distribute heat evenly in the home and more efficiently. Instead of your furnace working 100% of the time. It only works 25% of the time and the heat pump works 75% of the time. And it's more efficient and costs less than running the furnace by a long shot. There are some limitations, like if it gets below 40 degrees then we need to turn it off and switch over to the furnace completely. Also, this cost's more than an air conditioner. I called a company in Logan we did work with a few months ago just to get an idea of how much it would cost us to go with them and I was quoted 8- 10 grand. Ouch! We paid a little over $6,000. Now for the air conditioner bit. the heat pump doubles as an AC in the warmer months. It turns on reverse and is now airconditioning! It cost's roughly 13 cents to run an hour vs. our window unit that was least 65 cents an hour.

We were going to replace the furnace and add an AC unit, but this was better for us in the long run. Plus our furnace is actually newer and top of the line models so we didn't need to replace it. A heat pump is pretty cool. So, check it out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

What is a power box? It's a device that stores electricity instead of sending unused electricity back to the power line-- then you repurchasing it again when you turn something else on. Basically, when you uses something in your home, you get electricity and there is always unused amounts of it. Instead of sending it back to the power line because you've purchased and paid for it already, it saves it in the power box for you to use again. so you're not paying for electricity twice. This little baby cost us $800. But it's soooo cool and it's Jason's favorite. I think he checked out of the heating and cooling conversation when he heard power box and wanted that more than an AC when he first heard our agent telling us about it. Here is a link:
http://www.usaveonelectric.com/

Those are the best links I could find. If you are interested, and you live in Idaho or Utah (they are currently working on certifying in Utah) contact Right Now Heating and Cooling. We paid a little over 6 grand, but that included an FREE energy saver water heater, and we ended up getting the power box free too. They saved us 4 grand based on my one price comparison with one of Cache Valleys well known heating and cooling companies. How? I'm not quite sure, but I know that they own all there equipment so a lease can never be put on your home my the manufacturer of the AC, furnace, water heater for the company not paying them. The one technician said his boss orders so much he gets it discounted and he just has soooo many jobs. Don't forget to pitch my name out there if you call them and they do work for you! You know me, I love freebies! And they have a referral program. Thanks a ton in advance!
http://www.rightnowheatcool.com/

I hope you enjoy some of our money saving tips from the Viator Home. Also, believe me, this adds value to your home. We figure we can add on somewhere between 10-12 grand on resale value. Because we got the heat pump at a discounted price with their special and basically $1800 FREE from power box and water heater, we easily get our money back at resale of the home. Not to mention and then some.

Links did not work, so copy and paste it in your URL.