"30 Day Shred" - Day 5: My Experience So Far

This morning I completed my fifth day of the “30 Day Shred” workout video. It’s been seven days since I started this exercise plan, but I took 2 days off – one on the weekend because I did three hours of gardening and my legs and lower back were extremely sore afterwards; the other day I was just lazy and slept an extra 20 minutes instead of exercising.
The “30 Day Shred” is a workout video from Jillian Michaels, the tough trainer bitch from “The Biggest Loser.” She must be from New York or New Jersey – I catch her accent every now and then when she slips. The video offers 3 levels – start with level 1, work your way up to levels 2 and 3 over a 30-day period. Jillian uses a “3-2-1” system where you do circuits of 3 minutes of cardio, 2 minutes of strength training, 1 minute abs. After that you start the next cycle. It’s tough, it kicks my ass, and I’ve read online that people much more in shape than I am find Level 2 and 3 challenging!

I have AT& T cable and internet service – which I absolutely love love love! – and they offer the Level 1 and Level 2 videos for free on their “Video on Demand” feature. The actual DVD is like $15 at Target. Level 1 is 21 minutes long. Not a long exercise video, but Jillian maximizes that time by making you go immediately from one exercise to the next - no resting, no drinks. She says that if she's going to make big promises and if you really want to see results in 30 days with a 20-minute video, you have to stress your body and work it hard. I'm definitely drenched in sweat by the end of this video - for real, drenched. But I am a beginner and very overweight, so Level 1 would not do this to everyone.

I am still on Level 1 of the video, but I can slightly feel myself handling the routine a little better. The first day I thought for sure my heart would explode during the cardio section. Today I had trouble and was uncomfortable, but didn’t think I’d actually die. I have been using 2 pound hand weights for the strength training sections and I feel like I’m ready for 5 pound hand weights now for the bicep curls and chest flies (NOT the shoulder stuff - I have very weak shoulders).

There are 2 girls doing the workout with Jillian - one does a lower-impact version for beginners like me to follow, Natalie does a high-impact version for crazy people to follow. I am definitely not ready to follow Natalie any time soon.

The abs are where I need the most work (I am ALL belly right now), but it's where I feel the least burn using this video. I've tried videos like "Abs of Steel" and Denise Austin's pilates workout, and those really burn the abs within minutes and the pain is terrible for 2 days. With "30 Day Shred" I barely feel the ab workouts during the exercise, and definitely don't feel it afterwards. I don't know if this is because my abs are so undeveloped that I need extra exercises to make them work, or if I'm doing the ab workout wrong.

CVS Trip - 1/5/2009 ($9.42 out of pocket, $171.94 worth of merch)

Today I did my weekly CVS shopping trip in between a parent-teacher conference and work.

I bought $171.94 worth of stuff for $9.42 out of pocket (i.e. actual cash from my wallet). I earned $5.00 in Extra Care Bucks, so I really paid a net of $4.42 for everything.

Here is what I got:

3 Glade scented oil refills - on sale for $2.50 each, had a B2G1 coupon = $5.00
2 Glade candle jars - on sale for $2.50 each, had $1.50/2 coupon = $3.50
Bayer Contour Glucose Monitor - on sale for $30, had $30 off coupon = free (I will donate this item)
2 Vaseline Total Moisture body lotion - on sale for $2.99 each, had 2 $1.25 off coupons = $3.48 (I will donate these items)
1 Valentine card for my husband = $4.29
1 small chocolate heart for my son to give my daughter for Valentine's Day = $1.49
1 container of high-end SPF 45 sunscreen on clearance = $2.75
1 pack of Star Wars Valentine's cards for my son to give out in class = $2.99

Total = $60.00
Manufacturer's coupons = -$36.50
CVS coupon $10/$50 = -$10.00
CVS extra care bucks = -$5.00

Total out-of-pocket, $9.42
Earned $5.00 ECBs, so a net of $4.42 for $171.94 worth of merchandise!

I see this transaction as me buying some Valentine's cards and candy and getting everything else free.

Giant Eagle Trip 1/11/2009

Giant Eagle has some good deals this week, ending next Wednesday, 1/14.

Rice-a-roni boxes are $1.00 each. Use the recent $1/4 manufacturer's coupon, and you'll pay $3 on 4 boxes.

Angus beef roasts are B1G1. Because it's Angus beef, it's not cheap so this is not going to be a huge bargain for you. However, it's very good quality beef and a good deal. I paid $11.25 for two 2-pound roasts. I usually cook these in the crock pot while I'm at work and come home to a hearty meal.

Kellogg's fiber plus bars are $2.00 each. Use the 75 cent internet coupon, which my Giant Eagle doubles, and pay 50 cents per box.
There was a counter set up at the end cap and a lady was giving out free samples of this new product. The kids actually ate it, and my son really liked it, so this was a score for us.

Campbell's Select soupons are $1.25 each; I used a 50 cent off 2 coupon which was doubled, and paid $1.50 for 2 large cans of soup.

Star-Kist Tuna pouches are on sale $1.25 each; I used a manufacturer's coupon for B2G1 and paid $2.50 for 3.

Walgreen's 1/10/2009 - $3.01 out of pocket before rebate

On the way to a graduation party on campus, we stopped at Walgreen's. Today was the last day for some of these deals.

The Electrosol tablets and Quaker instant oatmeal were out of stock.

I was able to get:

2 boxes of Splenda, 100 packets each: $2.99 each with Walgreen's coupon - $3.00 internet coupons = FREE!
Feria hair styling product (I only use this product, so it's a great deal for me!): $2.99 on sale - $2.00 Walgreen's coupon - $1.00 manufacturer's coupons = FREE!
Glade scented oil candle refills (2 packs of 3 refills each): 2/$5.00 on sale - $2.50 manufacturer's coupon = $2.50
But the candle refills count towards a monthly rebate of $1 each, so I'll get $2.00 back on this, making it a net of $1.01 purchase!

CVS Trip 1/5/2009

My first 2009 trip to CVS!

I ran in for some shaving cream for my husband. Of course, that didn't work! I got sucked into the Christmas clearance section where everything was 75% off.

I got all this for $1.21 out of pocket (OOP), after I cashed in ECBs.

I got 3 packs of festive votive candles and 4 little packs of holiday tissues which will go into gift bags for teachers next year. Also found 4 little wind-up Santas for kids' stocking stuffers, a pack of holiday-themed foamies for crafts, and a gold wire tree that I'd wanted for a while.

My favorite find was a metal cookie tin - it had a cookie mix with sprinkles inside, 3 holiday cookie cutters and a small spatula, and a paid, one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine! This was only $2.50, well worth the subscription alone. I really enjoy BH&G magazine and already read it, so this was a great deal!

Oh yeah, and the shaving cream! :)

I use Febreze Air Effects daily in my house - it's a really great product, much better than traditional air fresheners. These were "out of season" as they were a fall/winter scent of apple and spice. I don't think apple and spice goes out of season, so I'm thrilled I found these!

My Plans for 2009

I hate to call these resolutions, because those always get broken, don’t they?

1. Blog more frequently.
It is a good way to express myself creatively, and a healthy way to get out my crazy thoughts, frustrations, and nutty schemes and ideas.

2. Shop local stores more often.
This was my one resolution for 2007. I stuck to it pretty well in the beginning, but then our one and only local bookstore, Liberty Books, went out of business and I pretty much stopped that focus. I want to shop Huffman’s Market (http://huffmansmarket.com/) much more often. The owners are wonderful and very committed to giving back to Upper Arlington and being a huge part of our community. It may not be the best option for me to do my weekly shopping trip at Huffman’s for a few reasons - they don’t have the extensive selection that my Giant Eagle (http://www.gianteagle.com/) superstore has, and their prices on many boxed and frozen items (a lot of my list) are not competitive with Giant Eagle, either. Plus, we save a fortune on gasoline through Giant Eagle’s great Fuelperks program. However, for when we have quick trips to make, I think Huffman’s Market is where I need to stop. I love the store, its atmosphere, its history, and everything it stands for, so I will support the business much more in 2009.

3. Pamper myself more often with more personal time and occasional salon visits.
My husband will probably laugh at this one – and rightfully so - because I am a shopaholic and buy myself treats and work clothes fairly often. But I would like to treat myself a few times a year to a manicure, pedicure, a nice haircut at a real salon. Right now, I might get a pedicure once a year and all my haircuts are $6 or $7 at Great Clips. Also, when I read the Twilight series in November, I got such pleasure from getting wrapped up in a book again. The escapism was fun, and I really enjoyed doing something just for me, all alone, that didn’t involve the guilt of spending money. Reading is something I used to do very often when I was younger, but never do now.

4. Catch up on scrapbooking
I used to love scrapbooking and I have a scrapbooking table and area set up in our office. Miranda has shown an interest in helping me, so I want to include her in this hobby. I will start with the most recent holiday – Christmas 2008 – and work my way backward. It is much better to do it this way than to start with that box of photos from years ago and get overwhelmed by how much you have to catch up on. Plus the most recent memories are fresh, it keeps you motivated to document everything while it’s still new and exciting.

5. Wear my wedding ring again by June
This is a substitute for my annual “lose weight” resolution. My goal is to lose weight, yes, but with the specific objective of wearing my engagement and wedding rings again. I haven’t worn them in about 5 years, since I got pregnant with Roman. I don’t care as much about losing X number of pounds or getting into a size X outfit. What I do care about is wearing my engagement and wedding rings again, so that will be my motivator to eat healthier and exercise more. I will be visiting SparkPeople (http://sparkpeople.com/) regularly again to help me track my progress.

6. Get my finances under control
Notice I say "my" and not "our." Jason does a great job with our household budget and our financial management. He balances the checkbook, pays the bills, and develops very sophisticated spreadsheets showing how we could/should spend down our debt and reach financial goals. So here is how I can help:

1. In 2009, I want to meet with him at least monthly and take a look at our financial goals for the year, assess where we are with them, and be clear about how I can impact them. I’m the #1 roadblock to us meeting our financial goals, as I am a shopaholic and have a very hard time not buying things when I see them, especially when they are on sale or clearance.
2. I will continue to avidly use coupons, shop sales, play the Drugstore Games, and stock up on clearance items for gifts.
3. I will track my expenses by category and use this information to see where my downfalls are, where I need to be careful, and to help our monthly financial meetings.

CVS Trip 9/28/2008 ($10.42 OOP, $50.09 saved, $5.49 ECBs earned)

Well, apparently Columbus, Ohio has received a different flyer from the rest of the country. I peeked online at the CVS flyer last night thanks to some other CVS bloggers, and I wasn't thrilled with the ECB offers this week. Well, when I got my Columbus Dispatch this morning, I was surprised to see a totally different flyer with only 3 ECB offers for the entire week! However, I will say that I really preferred the layout of the CVS flyer we received today. It was much cleaner, easier to read, not so cluttered. Of course, this is because there were so FEW deals on the pages!

Nevertheless, I stopped at the Sawmill/Bethel CVS on the way to Giant Eagle to do my weekly grocery shopping. I noticed my fellow CVS fans had already hit the store as there were no Johnson's Buddies soaps on the shelf for me to use my $3/3 coupon on! ;) I'll try again next time on that one. Today was also the last day for the $2/$10 coupon, and I only used one instead of the 2 or 3 I had hoped to use.

Thanks to Shynea at Penny Pinching Diva (http://pennypinchingdiva.blogspot.com/), I was tipped off that some CVS stores still have summer clearance items. Sure enough, there were some good back-to-school/summer clearance items that I thought were 75% off but were actually 90% off! And there were some very good deals in the general clearance end-cap at the back of the store.

I ended up having a GREAT shopping experience. I scored lots of deals, including a few gifts. The store manager rang me up and he was very nice and knew exactly what to do with my coupons and ECBs.

Here is what I got for $10.42 OOP:

Swanson chicken broth 3 for $1.50 - .40/3 coupon: $1.10

(I then went to Giant Eagle and noted that the same exact cans were $1.09 each)

Large insulated lunch box (for soccer games, car trips, etc.): $0.79

Rainforest insulated lunch box (for Roman): $0.59

4 packs of twisty/bendy pencils (good stocking stuffer or gift bag filler for kids): $0.09 each!

2 shopping lists (they had ugly dogs on them, but I couldn't turn down the price): $0.09 each

2 sets of 4-pack plastic tumblers: $0.09 each (gave these to my mom for when the kids visit her)

2 Dawn antibacterial dish soaps: $0.99 each - 2 $0.25 coupons

2 Softsoap liquid soaps: $0.99 each - 2 $0.50 coupons

2 Folgers coffees: $1.99 each - $0.25 coupon

1 Cover Girl Clean Liquid Makeup: $5.49 - $1 coupon, earned $5.49 ECBs

1 Cover Girl cover up: $4.79, but had the coupon for B1G1 free Cover Girl makeup

Pack of 3 pretty floral cosmetic bags: $2.00 on clearance (another gift item)

1 Dr. Something's wrinkle cream boxed set (originally $19.99): $2.00 - $2.00 coupon from CVS beauty flyer in some stores (I've only seen them at CVS Kingsdale)

I paid $10.42 OOP, I used $4 ECBs and earned $5.49 ECBs from the Cover Girl makeup. I saved $50.09 and plan to go back tomorrow after I score some more beauty flyers from the Kingsdale CVS.

Note: My CVS receipt says that our Summer Quarter 2% earnings will start printing at the register October 1st! That's this Wednesday! Woo Hoo!