Rookie Couponing…Try #2

So I “tried” couponing again today.

Not REALLY HARDCORE or anything since I only took in one physical coupon that was for $0.30 but I still gave it my best try…

First I got a $10 coupon (for spending so much money). #CouponFail

For anyone who lives near a Safeway, they are doing a promotion where if you spend $75 you get a $10 coupon for next time!

And then I got a $2 coupon for any two Splenda products.

Hey, at least it’s more than 30 cents.

And for the record, no I do not use Splenda, Mark does.

Mark likes to take Cashews to work but they are SO EXPENSIVE in Hawaii but I got a steal on these!

Normally they are $20.39 but the store was having a sale where they were $2.40 off so $17.99, BUT I had a Safeway eCoupon (which you can also get by checking our their website. Safeway.com and registering for an account. All you need to do is add the eCoupon to your account and it automatically deducts the coupon once you scan your club card or type in your phone number while in the checkout line). SO I got an additional $3.00 off these bad boys making them only $14.99. (Which is still a ridiculous price for Cashews, if you ask me).

1. Register at Safeway.com.
2. Click on “just for U”.
3. Click on “Coupon Center”.
4. Go through the list and add what you want (you might as well add everything since it doesn’t hurt).
And they’ll be ready to use without any unnecessary hassle!

Easy right?

Bought another Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter. I used the coupon that you see on there (that I got last time) to get 30 cents off my purchase. I usually buy Salted butter but I’ve been cooking a lot and it’s better most times to use unsalted so I’ve been getting in the habit of just buying unsalted butter, just in case I need it to bake cookies or what have you.

These were on sale for buy one get one free!

Who DOESN’T like breakfast sausages??

So normally for two of these boxes it would be $11.98 but I only paid $5.99! Score! We’re eating good tonight! Hahahaha. I kid.

And how much do you think I paid for this box of 200 Splenda packets? Originally it’s $12.99 but they were $4.00 off so I only paid $8.99 for them.

Although if you think about it, I could have just taken multiple trips to a nearby coffee shop and just lined my pocket with Splenda but who am I kidding? I’m not Chinese.

I’m just joking people. Other Asian people do it too…don’t worry.

Mark also likes these Builders Protein Bars but they’re usually pretty pricey.

(Yes, they can be cheaper at Walmart but sometimes I just don’t want to deal with the hassle of what is Honolulu Walmart).

The peanut butter ones are originally $10.39 and the chocolate mint ones are $10.19. Why the peanut butter costs more than the mint, I have no idea.

But I got them both at $7.99 a box (which is pretty good since they usually sell for like $2/a piece).

The Flipz White Fudge Pretzels were also buy one get one free!

Cha-ching!

Seriously, score of the day! (Well this and the breakfast sausages…what? They’re good!)

So normally they would both be $9.58 but I only paid $4.79 for both.

These things are addicting!

I have stopped buying things that I could make at home but I don’t think I could make these as fast as I could eat them.

Good thing I’ve been hitting the gym lately.

And I bought a few other things with minor savings but I didn’t think they were worth the post.

I also got some Cream of Tartar so I could make some Snickerdoodle cookies this week. It was on sale but it wasn’t.

Let me explain.

All the spices were Buy 2 Get 1 Free but spices are so expensive and I didn’t think I needed another one…

Although thinking about it, I’m kicking myself right now because I could have bought some more Cinnamon (which I use more than anything else) and then gotten some Thyme for free…

But no matter now! What’s done is done!

There will be more sales!

And the last thing I didn’t buy because it was on sale.

(Although it also happened to be on sale).

Mark loves Sweethearts (even though I think they are the most horrid thing since black licorice) and when we tried to get a bag in Minnesota they weren’t the ones that he liked so we ended up chucking most of it (which was fine by me). So when I saw these at the market I thought, why not? Plus it’s almost Valentine’s Day and I’m sure he would like these in his little lunch bag. (Although he might just leave them at home and devour at a later time).

For all three the regular price was $1.77 but I got $0.27 off so I paid $1.50 for all three which is about 50 cents a piece which is pretty good.

Spent more money than I had intended but I got some good deals out of it so I’m a happy camper.

Yay! Hope you enjoyed the post!

Plato’s Closet – Honolulu

So I went and checked out Plato’s Closet so that I could do a review for the University Newspaper. This is the first Plato’s Closet and buy/sell vintage/consignment/brand store in this neck of the woods and I loved it!

Here is the information for the location:

Plato’s Closet

1161 S. Beretania
Honolulu, HI 96814

Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-8 pm & Sun 12 pm – 5 pm

Telephone #: (808) 523-8885

Credit Cards: Yes

Parking: Private Lot

Here is what I wrote for the draft. They’ll edit it before it goes in the paper but I say what I wrote is good enough for my blog!

Being from Los Angeles I love thrift stores and consignment shops so I knew that I had to give this place a visit. Very much like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet offers a variety of name brand clothing at more than reasonable pricing. It was like every college girl’s dream! Tons of outfits to choose from, all in either new or slightly used condition, with more than affordable prices. I would say shopping at Plato’s Closet is a lot cheaper than shopping at Forever 21 with a better selection of styles for both men and women. Plato’s Closet has done very well in the states and it was about time that they opened one in Honolulu. All the employees were more than helpful and very friendly as well. And for those of you who are worried about parking they have a private lot right in front of the store and for those students without cars it’s only about a 1.7 mile walk from campus.

The store itself is packed wall to wall with clothing and accessories. And the atmosphere is very welcoming as every customer is greeted as they walk through the door. Whether you are looking for shoes for a friend’s wedding or a clubbing outfit for the weekends, this is definitely the place to go. I saw plenty of clothes with the tags still attached selling for a mere fraction of what the original retail price was. I saw Women’s Air Jordan’s from $12-$21, a new Bebe dress for $18 and even Betsey Johnson purses for half what they would charge at Ross. And of course I couldn’t leave the store without picking up a few things for myself.

The only downside to Plato’s Closet would be to potential sellers. I have read reviews as well as asked people what their experience has been with selling their items to Plato’s Closet and more people have been disappointed with the amount of product that the store chooses to buy and for how much. Because the store sells their merchandise for such a low price it is hard for sellers to get what they think is fair for their new or gently used items. If you just want to get rid of some clothes or need quick cash then it might not hurt giving Plato’s Closet a try but most people have just found it easier to donate their unwanted items to Goodwill. I am sure that as they get more business they will be open to buying more from customers as times go on but I’ve heard that they have been pretty picky about what they choose to purchase from customers.

But overall, I had a great experience at Plato’s Closet and I can’t wait to go back soon to see what new things have come in. It’s refreshing to see a store that is affordable to the general public and to college students like myself.

And here’s what I got this time around. I picked out two dresses that I KNOW that I did NOT need to try on because I just had to have them!

I didn’t look at all the clothes or go through each rack because I knew this trip was more for school work than for pleasure but I’m sure I’ll be back there soon enough. There were sneakers and bags that I wanted but I knew that I had to pace myself.

I just need to keep reminding myself…I NEED TO SAVE FOR LAW SCHOOL!

It hasn’t been working TOO well but I’m trying. Slowly but surely. (Don’t call me Shirley!)

But anyways…

The first dress I fell in love with at first glance! And it’s by one of my favorite designers in LA!

The store on Melrose is called Voom and this lady makes all her clothes by hand! And they’re usually WAY too expensive for me to even consider buying anything. Her store MIGHT have closed down because of it. But I’m psyched to get a hold on this dress because I didn’t even know she had designs LIKE this.

Excuse all the wrinkles.

But isn’t it just adorable?! When I saw the old school hand stitched puppies on there I KNEW this was for me!

I used to LOVE embroidery and stitch work so whenever I see dish towels or clothing with it, I can’t help but love it even more!

Paid $14 for a $100-$200 dress!!!

The next dress fits amazingly on me and the back is to die for!

And guess what ladies?

It’s a Wet Seal dress! …I know right?

And it only cost me $8!

I’m so happy with both dresses that I got and hopefully they’ll like my review too!

Yay for thrift store finds! Woo hoo!

Mall of America Finds

So during our trip to Minneapolis we stopped by the Mall of America again so I could do some shopping! Yay!

It’ was my third time there and I STILL don’t think I’ve seen everything that mall has to offer!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the place it is THE largest Mall in America.

It literally is the “MALL OF AMERICA”. Haha.

It has a theme park in the middle with rides, an aquarium, mini golf, multiple food courts…it’s just humongous!

And ladies, there is NO Sales Tax on clothing or shoes! Can you believe it!!!

Thank the baby lord Jesus right?

Well I just wanted to share with you guys some of the cute stuff that I found there since the shopping selection can be kind of limited at times in Hawaii as well as ridiculously overpriced.

First I went to this store called ‘Garage’ and I was immediately drawn to it! I ended up buying 3 things so I think I did pretty good.

First I found these adorable shorts that fade from light blue to white. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a weakness for short shorts!

And after being in Minnesota for 3 weeks I am ready for some warm Hawaii weather!

Usually I don’t like cut off shorts because they tend to make legs look a little bit thicker where it is cut off but Mark convinced me that it looks okay so I thought I might give it a go.

And lately I’ve been getting into long sleeve button down shirts and I thought this one was just perfect for the summer weather. I especially love it because it’s 100% cotton and it breathes pretty nicely.

Sorry the picture is sort of blurry on this one but it really is quite adorable in person. This sheer top is perfect over a bikini top or a regular bra!

I think they tried to sell me a tank top to wear under the shirt but…

AIN’T NOBODY GOT NO TIME FOR THAT!

After that I went in to Lola. I was so surprised that they had it in MOA!

I used to go to Lola when I was in Vegas and that was about it. I didn’t think they had set up shop anywhere else.

They were having a super sale just like everyone else so I got this basic green tank top that was $20 for $5! Score!

Everything else in the store was either for warm weather or too sparkly for me. But I’m happy with what I got!

And how can I go into any mall without going into Tillys!

I usually go to grab cute underwear and Metal Mulisha clothes but this time I found a cute top instead.

I’m pretty picky about floral prints but I thought this one was pretty calm and not too out there.

I’m not crazy about the back with the butterfly looking cutout but I’ll live with it.

I think I have a new outfit for school! Yay!

Speaking of which, I need to figure out where my classes are this semester…Hahaha.

I don’t think I even know. Hmmm…

And we went to Lindt to get some chocolate for the family like we always do!

But this time Mark wasn’t feeling too well so we headed back to the hotel pretty early but I still had a blast!!

The view driving into Minneapolis!

Life has been busy…

I miss writing on my blog! I’ve been pretty busy with school, work and family for the past month or so now.

I have so much to write about. So many pictures to share!

I got my Ada Wong costume in the mail today~! I can’t wait to wear it for Halloween!

I really do look bad with wigs and with black hair so this will be a challenge. I might just have to be blonde haired Ada Wong. It might just have to happen that way. Sorry guys.

Broncos had their bye-week this week. Excited for their game against the Saints on Sunday.

I haven’t been watching the NBA preseason. Half because my hubby is gone and the other half because the Lakers have NOT won a single preseason game AND because we have whiny ass Dwight Howard on our team now. I wonder if this is a legitimate enough excuse for me to give them up and just claim the Heat as my team. Regardless I will be going to the Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets game when I come back home for Thanksgiving. I just want to see Deron Williams play mostly. Everyone dislikes that he complains so much but who cares?

Oh, I did get new Adventure Time art though! I just need to get a frame for it and find a secure place to hang it on my wall before the wind knocks it down and breaks the glass again. Let me show you the NBA art print I bought a while back too!

It’s adorable right? I have so much Adventure Time art it is CRAZY! I’ll have to do a post on that, and I will. I promise!

Wilt Chamberlain piece I got from Free Darko! I absolutely love it!

Okay, listen to this. I got a frame from Ikea and brought it back ALL THE WAY FROM MINNESOTA TO HAWAII only to have the glass from the frame shatter when the wind knocks it over after I lay it up against the wall. REALLY WORLD? REALLY? Now it’s all dusty and not in a frame. WHY DON’T YOU HAVE IKEA?! OR AARON BROTHERS HAWAII? WHY?!?!

I’m just going to have to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and have them cut me glass so I can frame it again. Hopefully this time it doesn’t shatter on me. I love art! I keep seeing stuff I want to buy and I refrain myself as best as I can!

I saw this Marilyn Monroe piece today and I think I might just have to get it… I just love art so much. I will post a picture when and if I do. Yay!

I will write more you guys so don’t lose faith!

Retail Therapy

So it’s no secret that I’ve been a little homesick so when I asked my mother to send me some Trader Joe’s goodies she went out right away to get them for me! I had all but forgotten about Trader Joe’s while I’ve been here but I had a sudden craving for Caramel Waffles and everyone who knows knows that Trader Joe’s waffles can’t be beat! YUM!

My mother also sent other cookies and goodies that I love! And some Yerba Mate tea that ALWAYS makes me feel better when I have a stomach ache. You guys should try it some time when you aren’t feeling well. Yes it has caffeine but it does wonders! All you need is Yerba Mate with a lot of honey and it’s like you’re all better again!

She also sent me wafers which I absolutely detest. She always forgets and sends them to me anyway. *Shrug* It’s the thought that counts. I’ll eat everything else and leave the wafers for someone else to devour. I need to remind my mother about the biscotti too next time.

I’ve also been hitting the gym since I’ve been feeling a little pudgy lately and I feel great! It’s hard when you don’t have your gay best friend to go with you  but I’m trying my best to be consistent.

I’ve also been spending too much money since Mark’s been gone. But like the title says, it’s retail therapy. I’m trying to cope being alone and it’s going pretty well. I’ve made some friends and I’ve been going out so I’m doing better than I thought I would be.

Look what I got today!

I bought my little nephew (in-law) this rad Spiderman shirt so I can give it to him when we go visit during Christmas! Spiderman is EVERYTHING to this kid. Literally. Just hope he doesn’t outgrow the shirt TOO fast. And then before we go I’ll stop by Target again and get him some action figures. It’s hard when you don’t know what they have or don’t have but I’m sure he’ll be happy either way.

I also got myself the next Tokidoki Planner. 3 years strong!

I’m pretty sure I left the 2011 back home in LA.

And the only reason why I bought this one now is because in my 2012 planner there’s a page in there that says “IT’S ABOUT TIME TO ORDER YOUR NEXT PLANNER!” but then it also said “CONTINENTAL US”. Go figure.  So I decided it only made sense to just buy it when I saw it.

I also mailed out presents for my friends and family today which I hope they’ll enjoy. I just love sending mail! I really do. If anyone wants a new penpal let me know! Hahaha.

And more sports blog posts coming soon! I promise!

*EDIT*

I also bought these off ebay yesterday. I just couldn’t resist! They just screamed ME!

Aren’t they just adorable! Can’t wait to get them in the mail!

Did you see me on TV?

I actually look okay in the episode. Phew. Thank god. I’ll put up some screenshots when I get them. And for those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, (Yes I am guilty of selfless self promotion), I am on tonight’s episode of Bizarre Foods America on the Travel channel. Go check it out if you haven’t already!

But otherwise, today’s been a long day but a good one for the most part. My headache and semi-cold are a little better too which makes things a little easier.

And since I don’t have pictures of me in the episode I’ll upload these pictures of Tony Parker in the Olympics that Mark found.

Priceless right?

Well back to what’s been happening lately. My family left on Friday but we ended up having a lot of fun with them. We ended up going to the North Shore like EVERY SINGLE DAY but all in all we all had a great time. Lots of good food and relaxation time, just what the doctor ordered.

And then yesterday it was Mark and I’s 1 month marriage anniversary! We only realized it after our hike but that’s okay. We went to Manoa Falls and it was such a fun little outing together. I really enjoyed it and we’re going to go hiking again next weekend.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! A lot of people were hiking in flip flops and barefoot… There was so much mud and rain and slippery rocks that I don’t know how those people survived. My cowboy boots, on the other hand, took me there and back just fine, especially with the help of my hubby Mark being there for me when my shoes didn’t have any traction.

Yay! Fun times. We also ended up going to Costco and Walmart that day and making care packages for family. I love making care packages and sending mail! Who WOULDN’T want a bunch of goodies in the mail??

Look what they had at Costco though… WANT! Only is the cat is included…OMG Maybe this is the perfect Christmas present for Rolf! Who wouldn’t want to see cute pictures of Rolf in this little cat bed. Which reminds me…my mother sent me more pictures of my little babies so I’ll upload them soon!

Speaking of what I saw at Costco, look what else I saw at Walmart!

Vintage-y looking Cracker Jack boxes! I wanted a box but it only came in a set of 3 so I just took a picture instead. *shrug* Good enough for me.

Oh, not to mention we got Saimin for the first time. Noodles were so so but we had Sweet Potato Tempura and they used Okinawan Purple potatoes and they were delicious! Just like the ones you get at the country fair that just MELT IN YOUR FUCKIN MOUTH! UH! It was ORGASMIC!

I also got some delicious strawberries from Costco! Growing up I’d always eat them with sugar so that’s what I’m doing now. Yum!

I love our Sundays off together!

I’ve finally set up my computer (and my apartment)!

Excuse all the boxes. I actually took this picture earlier this week so it doesn’t look like that right now. I’ll take another picture once I dismantle all of the boxes and throw them away. I’m about 80% done but it’s hard for me to carry the huge boxes downstairs so I’m taking my time. It’ll all get done though. I finished most of the other cleaning so we should be good.

We went to go look for a dinette set yesterday but the one we wanted is currently “in transit” so the lady said it would be a couple more weeks…I guess we’ll see. We’re having our open house tomorrow so we really wanted something in the house by either today or tomorrow but I guess that’s seeming a little improbable at the current moment. Oh well. It is what it is.

So yeah, I finally set up my computer so I can write real posts. I’m still not used to writing long posts on a laptop so I’m glad to be back on my computer. I forgot how good it feels to just sit in front of the computer and just write. It’s amazing! And I’ve missed all you guys too! I’ve mostly been cleaning and going to work and watching playoff games. But I’ll talk about that later.

I just have to say, I love our TV though. Not only do we get sports in HD but also the Food network and all my games look so amazing! Muhahaha. It’s bad because I don’t think I do anything else…hahaha. It’s so pretty…I don’t want to be away from it! I mean I spent the whole morning today watching “Food Network Star” which I am now officially hooked on after 2 episodes. DAMN YOU CABLE TV! Just SUCK the life right out of me why don’t you?!

Oh and the other day I was feeling a little down so I went on a little shopping spree and splurged on myself. Want to see what I got?

The girl at Gamestop convinced me to buy Killzone 3 and I actually like it a lot. Again, if I could pull myself away from Chopped or Storage Wars I would be playing more often…but it’s SO HARD! AH! For those of you who don’t know, I’ve never had cable my whole life except for those brief periods while staying at a hotel so this is something new for me and I just can’t get enough of it! I mean, I didn’t even watch TV these past 2 years. My TV was only on when I wanted to play video games and that was about it.

Oh and I also pre-ordered Black Ops II so they gave me a free poster and I get some cool perks for preordering early! Yay! This actually made my day because I left all my other COD posters back home in LA. (God I hope my mother doesn’t rip/throw them away…) I wonder where I should put this one…

I actually went to Home Depot before work yesterday and I got some stuff to hang up the art that I brought with me so I’ll get started on that today when Mark gets home. I can’t wait to give our apartment a little flare. Our place is so modern though it’s pretty cool.

I bought one other thing for myself because I just couldn’t resist.

Hmmm…what could it be?

No, it’s not shorts…or lingerie…or anything cute.

It’s…A PEYTON MANNING BRONCOS SHIRT!

YEAH BUDDY!

Come football season I’m going to wear it EVERYWHERE!

YUUUUUUUUUUP!

NBA playoffs post coming up~

Ebay, The poor man’s Amazon

So I was looking around Ebay for some more Lebron shirts when I came upon these black Nike Lebron Soldiers. Anyone who knows me knows I do not care two shits about shoes. I literally own 3 pairs of shoes right now. My cowboy boots, my high top converse and my Nikes that I bought to wear at the gym (I also got that on ebay for like $35, they were brand new and JUST my style and size!)

But I won these bad boys in my size for a whole $25. They’re brand new and usually $120. Not bad right?

Ebay is a dangerous place…

I decided to get the CD I wanted too if I was going to buy shoes. Again, anyone who knows me knows that I NEVER spend money on CDs or DVDs. Most times I just think they’re wastes of money. And no, I don’t do that illegal download stuff either. If you ask anyone they will tell you that the few times I do buy a CD or a DVD I will listen/watch it a MILLION times. Quite literally.

Everyone has their own hobbies and addictions and I understand that. I’m not judging any of you, shoes and CDs just weren’t my thing growing up and it’s as simple as that.

Since I’ve started writing this blog entry I have already been back on eBay to look for more stuff that I want but don’t necessarily need…Curse you eBay!