I had the opportunity to sit in on two of Heidi St. John’s sessions at the Teach Them Diligently conference this past weekend. And while I gleaned a lot of different things from both of them, one phrase she said in the time management session has etched itself forever in my memory:

“You don’t have a time management problem. You have a ME management problem.”

Gulp.

How often I want to blame being behind and disorganized on the lack of time, the overloaded schedule, or the alarm clock that failed to go off? I’ve got a dozen excuses, but very rarely do any of them involve ME.

A bad system is not the problem.

An unreliable clock is not the problem.

A too-full schedule is not the problem.

I am the problem.

That’s bad news, but it’s also good news. You know why? Because if I’m the problem that means I’m also the solution.

Fixing my time management issues doesn’t start with a new system, a better clock, or a less-full schedule. It starts with me.

Once I own that I am the problem, I can then begin implementing a solution.

For more helpful time management tips and suggestions, check out my Time Management 101 series and my ebook, 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life.

photo credit

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Local Health Food Store

6 Oranges @ 3/$1 – $2 total

2.25 lbs Gala Apples @ $0.99/lb - $2.23 total

Organic Cucumbers (2 pk) – $0.79 total

Organic Green Bell Peppers (2 pk) – $0.79 total

Carrots (2 lb bag) – $0.79 total

Total with tax: $7.08 

Aldi

1 Gallon Milk – $1.99

1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.19

Total with tax: $3.41 

Dillon’s

1 Dillons Bread – $1

2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta - $1 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 4/28 SmartSource insert – $0.50 each after coupon

1 Fruttare Frozen Bars – $4.99, used Free Dillons e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Sargento Sliced Cheese – $2.50, used $1/1 catalina coupon – $1.50 after coupon

1 Kroger Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $1.67

1 Kroger Butter – $2.29 (that’s cheaper than Aldi right now!)

1 Yoplait Trix Yogurt (4 pk) - Marked down to $1.19 (I wished I would have had a coupon for this.)

1 Dannon Activia Yogurt (12 pk) – Marked down to $1 (Amazing price for a 12 pk!)

1 Nestle Hot Chocolate – Marked down to $1.59 (I needed this for a get-together I’m hosting.)

1 Post Great Grains Cereal – $2.69, used $1/1 catalina coupon – $1.69 after coupon (My Mom gave me this coupon as she knows this is one of my very favorite cereals and since I haven’t had it in months, I couldn’t wait for a better deal. Yum!)

French Yellow Mustard – $1.25, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/12 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.25 after coupon

2 Yakisoba Ramen Noodles – $1 each, used 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 insert (doubled) – Free after coupons

1 U by Kotex Liners – $1.49, used $2/1 printable (no longer available) – Free after coupon

3 Special K Cereal Bars – $2.99 each, received $3 instant savings at register for buying 3, used 3 $0.70/1 printables - $0.99 each after coupons and instant savings

1 (5 lb bag) Potatoes – $1.99

1 can Kroger Black Beans – $0.69

Total before coupons and sales: $47.38

Total with tax after coupons: $20.72

Total for all grocery items: $31.21

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Toast, Cereal, Fruit, Yogurt, Cinnamon Roll Cake

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot & Zucchini Bars (I’ll be slightly tweaking this recipe), Leftovers, Yogurt, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruits & Veggies

Dinners

Spaghetti, Sliced Oranges, Steamed Broccoli, Toast

Broccoli & Cheese Quiche, Steamed Cauliflower, 30-Minute Rolls

Mini German Pancakes, Grapefruit (from my mom)

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Tossed Salad

Chicken & Rice Casserole, Apples, Green Beans

Shepherd’s Pie, Biscuits, Sweet Corn, Tossed Salad

Date Night (eat out)

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Sign up for a free sample pack of Medjool Dates.

Thanks, Coupon Pro!

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Sign up for a free AmLactin Moisturizer sample.

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger!

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When I woke up the next morning, I immediately realized something wasn’t right because it was light outside.

Then, I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:30 a.m. Neither of my alarms had gone off and I was supposed to be on a flight right then!

I jumped out of bed and started to dash to get my things together when it hit me that it was pointless to try to get to the airport as soon as possible as the flight certainly wasn’t going to wait on me.

Jesse graciously got up and made some phone calls to get me on another flight while I showered, got dressed, and finished packing. I just prayed that I’d be able to get on another flight, because I was scheduled to speak the following morning at 8:30 a.m.

I was so relieved when he came in and told me he’d been able to get my tickets transferred to a later flight… to the tune of $500!!! That was our only and cheapest option. So we had to take it.

Yes, my irresponsibility in not turning on the alarms (I’d set the time on the alarms, but hadn’t flipped the switch to actually turn them on!) cost us $500. What was done was done. I couldn’t go back and fix the mistake, so I just had to cough up the money and pay dearly.

It was worth it — as I was so blessed by my time in Pennsylvania. But from here on out, I’m setting three alarms when I have an early morning flight. And I’ll probably triple check them, too!

Nothing like having to learn a lesson the very hard way. In fact, I think this is one of our most expensive frugal failures so far — much more expensive than even our $145 suitcase mistake.

Have you had any frugal failures recently? Hopefully it wasn’t as costly as mine was!

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Download a free copy of Life for Savers.

Download a free copy of How to Be Gluten Free.

Download a free copy of Paleo Desserts.

Download a free copy of Perfectly Paleo.

Download a free copy of Paleo Breakfasts.

Download a free copy of Florian’s Gate.

Download a free copy of How to Cook Healthy in a Hurry.

Download a free copy of Paleo Snacks.

Thanks, eReader Girl!

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?

I’m still digging over here and still finding things every day — even though it seems like I’m getting to the bottom of the barrel. One of my friends jokingly offered to drop some of her items off on my driveway if I run out of things to get rid of.

Today I found some lids in the garage that we no longer had the bottoms to, two kids’ books, a pair of shoes that Silas outgrew, and a part of a broken hanger.

How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!

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Sign up for the Betty Crocker email newsletter to have access to free samples every month, plus get up to $250 in coupons each year!

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Here’s another way donate to the Oklahoma tornado victims for those who are on a tight budget.

Pampers is sending relief kits to Oklahoma to help those families with babies and small children. If you’d like to donate toward these relief kits, you can donate your Pampers Gifts to Grow points here. Every 10 points donated equal $0.10 donated toward the Oklahoma relief kits.

If you’ve not signed up for Pampers Gifts to Grow, you can sign up here and get 100 free points. You can also add an additional 10 free points to your account here.

Thanks, Sarah!

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Have you signed up for Kellogg’s Family Rewards? You can earn free points by buying Kellogg’s products. You can use these points toward coupons, rewards, and more!

Add 50 free points to your account with code KFRHOMERUNTICKET.

Thanks, Family Savings!

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If your Kroger store doubles coupons, you can get the Carefree Liners for just $0.04. Here’s how:

Buy 1 Carefree Liners at $1.04
Use $0.50/1 Carefree coupon (doubled)
$0.04 after coupon

Thanks, Kroger Krazy for the deal and photo!

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Wet N’ Wild Eyeliner, Lipstick, and Nail Polish – $0.93
Use $1/1 coupon from the 5/19 RedPlum insert
Free after coupon

Heinz Homestyle Beans – $1
Use $0.30/1 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
$0.70 after coupon

Dole Mandarin Oranges – $1.08
Buy 3 and use $0.60/3 printable
Or buy 2 and use $0.75/2 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
As low as $0.70 each after coupon

Suave Deodorant – $0.97
Use $0.25/1 coupon from the 5/19 RedPlum insert
Or use $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 RedPlum insert
As low as $0.47 after coupon

Maruchan Yakisoba – $0.78
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
$0.28 after coupon

Barilla Blue Box Pasta – $1.28
Buy 2 and use $0.55/2 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
Or buy 3 and use $1/3 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
As low as $0.95 each after coupon

Jolly Time Microwave Popcorn – $1.48
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert
$0.98 after coupon

See the full list of Walmart deals here.

Did you find a great deal at Walmart? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Walmart deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Walmart deals post will be deleted.

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Rate three Friskies videos and you’ll be able to get a coupon for a free Friskies product by mail.

Thanks, For the Mommas!

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Remember how I blogged about meeting Beth, the mom of seven who has leukemia, at a homeschool conference recently? {Read this post here if you missed it.}

Since many of you asked if she had website or anyway you can follow along with her treatment, she graciously gave me permission to share a picture her son took of the two of us (above) and also a link to her Care Pages site (note: you’ll need to login or set up an account first in order to be able to view her page).

If you were inspired by what I wrote about her, would you take a moment and leave her a little note on her Care Pages site? I know it would mean so much to her.

You can also see pictures of her beautiful family on her Caring Bridge page, too.

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

I’m a stay at home wife and my husband and I just started Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover this year (we’re on baby step 3). We’ve definitely become much more conscious of our spending now that we’re paying cash at the grocery store and I’m shocked to see that we’re spending about $600 a month on groceries for 2 adults (that’s strictly food not household stuff)!

We do meal plan and eat at home most meals, however I’d really like to bring that number down. How do you decide what’s worth buying organic versus conventional? And how do you decide what’s worth buying brand name versus store brand?

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

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Target Shopping Trip

4 Sweet Corn – $0.25 each, used $1/1 mobile coupon - Free after coupon

1 Strawberries – $1.99, used $1/1 mobile coupon - $0.99 after coupon

2.03 lbs Bananas – $0.54/lb, used $1/1 mobile coupon (Text PICNIC to 827438) - $0.10 after coupon

1.25 lbs Jennie-O Ground Turkey – $4.49, used $2/1 peelie coupon – $2.49 after coupon (There were peelie coupons on a lot of the Jennie-O products!)

2 Up & Up Hand Soap – $0.89 each, used 2 $0.50/1 Target printable – $0.39 each after coupons

1 Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide – $0.52, used $0.50/1 Target printable - $0.02 after coupon

1 Up & Up Bandages (40 ct) - $1.39, used $0.50/1 Target printable - $0.89 after coupon

4 Up & Up Baby Wash – $1.49 each, used 2 $2/2 Target printable - $0.49 each after coupons

Total before coupons: $19.56

Total with tax after coupons: $7.90

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Here’s another Target deal for this week! You can get a Hormel Party Tray for just $4.19. Here’s how:

Buy one Hormel Party Tray at $10.19
Use $3/1 HORMEL Party Tray product coupon
Stack with $3/1 Hormel Party Tray Target Store coupon
$4.19 after coupons

See many more deals at Target this week here.

Thanks to All Things Target for the deal and photo!

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

There are a number of new printable coupons available this morning:

$0.50 off ONE BOX Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
$0.75 off Cascadian Farm product
$0.75 off any variety Oatmeal Crisp cereal
$0.50 off TWO BOXES Nature Valley Granola Bars
$0.75 off Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch cereal
$0.75 off ONE BOX Fiber One cereal
$0.50 off ONE BOX Original Cheerios cereal
$0.75 off ONE BOX Multi Grain Cheerios cereal
$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills kid cereals
$0.50 off any ONE BOX Chex cereal
$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills Big G cereals

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

I’m excited because Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy is offering her Ultimate Beach Reading Summer Reading Guide for FREE when you subscribe to her blog.

I got a sneak peek at this ebook and spent quite a long time yesterday circling new-to-me book ideas to request from the library. I can’t wait to dig into them soon!

Go sign up here. Happy reading!

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Order a 1 year subscription to Outside magazine for only $4.99 (up to 2 years) with code MONEYSAVING at checkout.

This offer expires tonight (May 22nd, 2013) at midnight EST. This magazine can also be a great source of unique coupons from time to time.

About Outside Magazine: Created for the active reader, Outside is the magazine devoted to travel, fitness, outdoor gear and sports. Whether you like rock climbing or mountain biking, each issue provides the best coverage of these an other exciting outdoor activities. Vacation tips and profiles of outdoor enthusiasts, along with colorful action photography make this a great resource for the active soul!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!