Move That Body!

One of the hardest things for me is getting in my cardio workout. I'm too busy, I'm too tired, or I'm just too lazy. Today, I decided to start fitting it in whenever/wherever I can.

I work as a cashier at Walmart, and I had to be there at 7:00 this morning. When I first got there, they put me on the self-checkout monitor. Now, at 7am, there are hardly any customers in the store and even fewer using self-checkout. I realized that provided the perfect opportunity to walk. I walked as fast as I could in the confined area, lifting my knees high with each step, and I managed to fit in 20 minutes of exercise.

Before walking today, I was feeling tired, barely awake; but after walking, I felt a burst of energy to get me through the morning. After having done my strength training yesterday for the first time in a long time, my legs were sore and stiff. The walking helped them loosen up and not feel so achy.

From now on, I'm not going to accept any excuses from myself for not exercising. I will find a way to fit it into my day.

I Love Making Money!

In my blog post dated March 9 ("The Saving Game"), I talked about my most recent shopping trip at Kroger. I talked all about how I had saved with coupons and in-store specials, but I failed to mention one thing. After checking out, I looked at my receipt and realized that there was a promotional with Martinsville Speedway, and my purchases had qualified me for two free tickets to the NASCAR race there next weekend. Now, I'm not a NASCAR fan, and I probably wouldn't attend the race, even if it were the one here in Bristol. However, I saw a money-making opportunity there.

I called the number on my receipt and received my two free tickets which I then listed on ebay. This morning, when I woke up, the current bid was just over $26. When the auction ended, three minutes later, the ending sale price was $50.02. Woohoo!! Gotta love getting $50 for free!!!

I'll Take the Blame!

Have you ever known someone who couldn't take the blame for anything? I think we've all known people who couldn't ever accept blame for anything, no matter how monumental or trivial. Well, that person is not me! In fact, I will sometimes take the blame for things I didn't even do.

At work today, a CSM came around to the cashiers, reminding us that when ringing up a cake from the bakery, we are not to turn it upside down to see the barcode on the bottom. The lady purchasing the cake was too kind to tell us which cashier did that today, and we were all speculating. Finally, I said, "I'll take the blame! It's just too unique and funny!" So, some of my co-workers accepted my fake claim of responsibility and gave me a new nickname -- "Shake-A-Cake"

Celebrity at Walmart

There are a couple things I use at Walmart to size up the customers. The first one is competency on the self-checkouts. It is amazing the vast number of people who try to use them but are totally incompetent. I've often said that there should be a short aptitude test that must be passed before being allowed to use them. Secondly, I watch what people do with their carts or baskets after paying for their merchandise. The polite ones return them to their designated places, while the self-absorbed, inconsiderate ones leave them sitting wherever, with no concern about blocking the way of fellow-shoppers or causing extra work for the associates.

Last night, my last hour of work was spent monitoring the self-checkouts, and at one point it became interesting when a celebrity (well, a local celebrity) came through. It was Garick Zikan of WCYB News5. Of course, I was curious to see how competent he was at using the machine. He sailed through the whole process like a pro, and he was very polite, as well. He spoke kindly and was concerned about what to do with the basket he had used to carry his items. Thank you, Mr. Zikan, for being a model shopper.

MyPoints

Along the lines of my last post, which was all about saving at the grocery store, today I want to tell you about a program called MyPoints. At MyPoints, you can earn points for shopping online, as long as you go through the MyPoints website. You can also earn points by merely reading emails, taking surveys, and searching on the internet. The points add up and can be redeemed for gift cards for various different stores and restaurants.

Another simple way of earning points is by printing and using coupons. Through MyPoints, you can access my 2 favorite sites for coupons (www.coupons.com and www.smartsource.com) and earn points for using them! You can earn 25 points for using 10 coupons (from either site) in a month and 10 points per coupon used from www.coupons.com.

I have been a member of MyPoints for about 10 years and have earned thousands of points which have been redeemed for many things over the years. There is no charge to sign up, and there are many opportunities to earn points without spending any money. It is well worth your time and effort to check out this program. I think you will thank me for it.

You can access the website at: www.mypoints.com

The Saving Game

Well, I've thought of a few things I should have mentioned in my last post.
1) I hate to shop, but
2) I love to save money when I must go to the store.
3) I'm addicted to clipping coupons.

Case in point: After spending a couple hours scouring the web for coupons, printing coupons, clipping coupons, etc, I went to Kroger for my monthly grocery-shopping trip; and I saved over $40 in coupons, not to mention the in-store specials.

Lots of people tell me I shouldn't go to Kroger because they're too expensive, but I have found ways to save there like I could never save at Walmart. (Don't tell my manager I said that, please!) In order to get the most out of shopping at Kroger, you must have a Kroger Plus Card. It's easy to sign up for one at the customer service desk. One benefit: they will keep track of your frequent purchases and periodically send you coupons in the mail for those items.

Another benefit for having the Kroger Plus Card is the ability to use electronic coupons. The two websites I use are www.shortcuts.com and www.cellfire.com. There are no coupons to print, clip, or hang onto. Simply use your Plus Card as you check out, and the coupons are applied. When I first started using these, there was a glitch in the system that allowed saving from both sites for the same product. Kroger has fixed that now and will use the coupon from cellfire first if there are identical coupons from both sites saved on your card. You can, however, use an electronic coupon and a paper coupon for the same product.

Speaking of paper coupons, there are many, many sources to get coupons to clip. The newspaper is, of course, the first source most people think of, and it's a great one! All You magazine is another of my favorite sources for coupons. Each issue has several useful coupons along with articles on saving/making money, personal style, home decorating, recipes, etc. There are also many websites with printable coupons. The two I utilize most are www.coupons.com and www.smartsource.com.

When I got home from the store today, I analyzed my receipt and realized that, by using these methods, I had gotten a few products for FREE! For instance, Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt is $2.69, but only $2.00 with the Kroger Plus Card. I had an electronic coupon for $1 off, as well as a paper coupon for $1 off. My price = FREE! You just can't beat that!

100th Post

Sorry I haven't updated this in so long. I've been told that the 100th post is supposed to tell 100 things about the blogger, and I just couldn't come up with 100 things. So, instead of never posting again, I decided to just tell as many things as I could think of and move on.

1) My full name is Suzanne Lynn Mulkey Mumpower.
2) I was born January 5, 1970.
3) I am now 40 years old.
4) I have one child.
5) My child's name is Samuel Arthur Mulkey.
6) I gave birth to Sam on Novemeber 18, 1995.
7) I am the mother of a teenager. Aghhhh!!!!
8) I work as a cashier at Wal-Mart in Bristol, TN.
9) I love to sing.
10) But, I can't sing! haha
11) I also love to cook.
12) And, I'm a pretty good cook.
13) I graduated from high school over 22 years ago. (In other words, I'm OLD!)
14) I graduated from college 19 years ago.
15) I have a B.S. degree in Accounting.
16) I was born with heart defects.
17) I like sports.
18) I really like basketball.
19) I really, really like tennis.
20) I love to read.
21) I like scrapbooking.
22) I'm also into old hot rods.
23) I like action movies
24) I also like movies based on true stories.
25) I don't like movies with sad endings. ie: "Million Dollar Baby", "Message in a Bottle"
26) I spent much of my childhood in Macon, GA.
27) I was born in South Bend, IN.
28) I have lived in 9 different states.
29) I have been to 42 states.
30) I have been to Alaska.
31) I have not been to Hawaii.
32) I have lived in Mexico.
33) I have been to Canada.
34) I want to go to Europe.
35) I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior in Feb, 1993.
36) I try to be a good Christian mom, but I often make mistakes.
37) I'm a member of Charity Baptist Church in Blountville, TN.
38) I currently live in Bristol, VA.
39) I have reddish brown hair.
40) I have greenish gray eyes.
41) My favorite color is green.
42) I collect frogs.
43) My favorite drink is Cherry Pepsi.
44) I'm also partial to coffee milkshakes.
45) My favorite ethnic food is Japanese.
46) My favorite dessert is New York style cheesecake.
47) I miss my mom.
48) I'm short ... only 60-1/2 inches (ie: 5ft. 1/2in.)
49) My hair has naturally been almost every color possible. It started off jet black, turned red then blond then brown. Now, it would be VERY gray if I didn't keep it colored.
50) I can't raise my left eyebrow. I was 5 years old when I discovered that and was totally embarrassed.
51) I attended private (Christian) schools from K5 through college.
52) My favorite subject in school was Math.
52) I can go to sleep almost anywhere, at almost any time, regardless of light and noise.
53) I am a published poet.
54) I'm writing a novel.
55) I have run out of things to say.