Meet Christina - your new blog author!

I have been blogging here for a few week or so now and need to formerly introduce myself to you! My name is Christina and I live in GA- southeast of Atlanta. I have been happily married to my husband for 6 years this June and for now it is just the two of us – no children yet. I work part-time (3 days a week) at a doctor’s office doing billing and insurance and I enjoy the rest of my time at home. I was raised in a frugal home by a stay-at home mom and am thankful that I have been able to bring those lessons into my life and marriage now.

I have always used coupons,
but used to shop at mostly at Wal-mart for my groceries and then just get my meat or other items that were on really good sale at Kroger. Last January I was introduced to www.thegrocerygame.com - a site much like www.couponmom.com that matches what’s on sale at the grocery store with the coupons in the paper. I still remember that first week when I printed my Publix list and headed off to the store with coupons in hand and came out to the car with 7-8 bags of groceries for under $20!! I was immediately hooked and took on couponing and stockpiling with a vengeance. If my poor husband only knew what was about to happen – our pantry quickly became full, I found and purchased a second freezer that was filled in a matter of weeks, and our linen closet became a small drugstore! By that summer I had reduced our grocery budget of $80-100 a week (spent at Wal-mart) down to less than $50 a week (spent at Kroger and Publix) and I was getting more food and brand name foods for less money!

Then I started “CVSing” and shopping at Walgreen’s and learned the method of using their store promotions to get what I need for my family and even more to giveaway to others that needed it. A highlight of my CVS deals from last year was getting a office chair with my ECB’s and the total ringing up to $0.00 and not even paying any tax! And who can forget the Robitussin deals at Walgreen’s last year in which I gained over $100 in RR’s and was able to buy door prizes for our Ladies Thanksgiving activity for free!

My hobbies (other than couponing and shopping :)) include a small cake business that I do out of my home, cooking and baking, reading, sewing, and gardening. My husband and I are very active in our home church mainly working with our teenagers and God is the center of our heart and home.

I hope this has allowed you to begin to get better acquainted with me. I am sure I will be sharing more in the future and more about some things to come on centsiblesavings. I look forward to getting to know many of you and sharing not only the shopping deals with you, but my heart of learning to live frugally with the money God has entrusted to us.