Changes Are Coming
By · Oct 16
One of my favorite pictures of my kids from a few years ago.
You may have noticed that things have slowed down a bit around here, and they are going to be slowing down even more. This has been a really hard decision to make and not one that I have taken lightly. I have been agonizing about this for the last few months.
But I have been feeling like I have been torn in a million directions and it was clear that something had to give. It seems that the only place I can be replaced is here on this blog. I have poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into building this blog and so thinking about walking away from it has been really tough.
So I am not going to completely stop posting here. I will still post the CVS matchups for Northern CA and any outstanding grocery store deals. There will probably be some frugal tips and giveaways along the way and links to fantastic posts that I find. But there will definitely not be daily postings.
To help you on your journey to saving money at the grocery and drug stores and live a better frugal life, here are my favorite blogs and their specialties:
For Walgreens: Mercedes at Common Sense With Money
For Rite Aid: Mindi at Moms Need To Know
For Northern CA Grocery Stores: Charlene at My Frugal Adventures
For Safeway: Gina at Moneywise Moms
For General Frugal Living: Trent at The Simple Dollar
Some of my other favorites:
Erin at $5 Dinners, Crystal at Money Saving Mom and Tara at Deal Seeking Mom
I so appreciate all of you and your support by reading here everyday, subscribing, leaving me comments, emailing me to tell me how much clipping coupons has helped your family’s budget and telling your friends all about what I have been trying to do here.
It has been an amazing year and a half and I am so grateful for all of the fantastic opportunities I have been afforded. Hearing that I have helped people change and improve their lives has been awe-inspiring. I have truly loved most every minute of this journey.
For now I am looking forward to spending a bit more time enjoying those beautiful little faces up above. Keep up the good work!
30 Comments
October 16th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Thank you for all of your work! You’ve been a great inspiration and will be missed, but you need to take care of yourself and your family first! Thank you again, Tess
October 16th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Oh Nicole,
I know you will be around, so I will say see you around. Please tell me you are not quitting twitter though,
mercedes
October 16th, 2009 at 9:16 am
That picture really says it all. It is one of my favorites too. I am sorry its been so stressful trying to do it all. It is such a blessing though watching your children figuring out life and making hard, but good choices. You are so talented, and I have loved your blog. It has been a help to me and I am so proud of you and the way you have developed your talents…but it is a false message that you can do it all. For your sake and the sake of my sweet little grandbabies, I am grateful you have been able to feel at peace with your decision. There really is a time and a season to all things. Love you Lots! Your #1 fan in all things! MOM
October 16th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Nicole, you are amazing. I am glad we are friends. Thanks for all your hard work! I totally respect your decision and know it was hard for you to make. Blogs can wait, but childhood can’t…
October 16th, 2009 at 10:06 am
I’ve been thinking about the time you have put into this. You have spent a lot! I totally understand your decision. You have done a lot for us, and I just want to wish you the best!!
Thank you so much!!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:18 am
It will be sad to see you go, I have really enjoyed your blog! If you have readers interested in Fred Meyers or more Safeway deals you can send them to http://www.alaskacoupondiva.com!
Best of luck!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Sad to hear that you are leaving…but good to know some people still have their priorities straight. Enjoy motherhood and we’ll be looking forward to the occasional posts!
October 16th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Fair enough. I was always green with envy that you were able to be a mom and so thoroughly offer us all that many bargains. We will survive! Especially considering you gave us links to who blogged about which stores, sweet! You do what you need to do and I’ll keep reading and being grateful for your efforts.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
ahhhh….this brought sweet tears to my eyes. What a precious gift to have the support of your mom! Nicole, thanks so much for all your help in saving money. You have blessed my family with the savings you post. Enjoy those darling kids!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
You are the best!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Nicole:
Living in Nor Cal too, I have enjoyed your blog since the day I found it! I will still look forward to the deals you do post, and thank you for all the money you’ve saved me. Enjoy your beautiful kids!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Awwww…girl!!!!! I completely understand – this takes a lot of work! But, you will be missed. I hope you’ll be on twitter and Facebook at least so we can stay in touch!!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I am sad but I totally get it!! You have done a great job with this blog, but you will get greater reward from the time you spend with those sweet faces! And your mom’s comment was so sweet.
Please do let me know if you’re ever up my way and we’ll get together, OK?!
Hugs to you!!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Hey, we’ve been following your blog in our reader for over a year now, and have saved lots of money at rite aid, walgreens, and even zenni optical. Thanks for all your hard work with your tid bits and everything. I know it has to be a ton of work, and I could see how it could really be consuming.
I know that there are a lot of other women out there that do the deals, so that isn’t the most important thing to me.. but what I hope you will continue is things like your homemade mac n’ cheese recipe post, and your finds like zenni optical, and your won personal frugal ideas and ways to save – you could post stuff like that here and there!
You’re a wonderful mom, and a great woman!
October 16th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
You and your blog will be missed by many…especially ME!!!
October 16th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Seriously woman–a huge sacrifice that will bring forth priceless blessings! I understand! Sometimes just keeping up with the coupon clipping and shopping is enough–I can not even imagine what it is like for you! I think about you guys often! Loves!
Melissa Bowers
October 16th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Nicole you have been such an inspiration. Thank you for your time and dedication. I am proud to call you a close friend!!!!!!!! You really are one of my absolute favorite people. Always stay true to yourself and you will not go wrong!!!!
Luv ya
the other Nicole
ps your mom is awesome!!!!
October 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Of course I will still be on twitter!
October 18th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Nicole,
Thanks SO much for your hard work on the blog. I truly appreciate all the deals/steals, and money-saving tips you’ve posted. I too am a daily reader and have improved my grocery and household budget in parts to you. BUT, being a mother and wife are the two most important roles we will ever have and therefore they deserve to be our hightest priorities. I think that is one of our biggest challenges we face today, keeping our priorities straight while being pulled in so many directions. I respect and admire your decision and wish the best to you and your family! God Bless!!
October 19th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Thank you so much for all your hard work! This really was the blog that “started it all” for me and got me to clip my first coupon. Enjoy those kiddos—”The days are long but the years are short.”
October 19th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Oh, I will miss you, but how about this?
What about just a blog about you and your family? Maybe you already have one. A place to document those gorgeous kids, vent, share, dream?
Your work inspired me to save more, spend less. I thought I was already frugal, but YOU took me to another level. Thank you.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I’m very proud of you. What you did on this website is simply amazing… it also must have been a lot of work. Take a break, enjoy your kids! In the future, you may write articles for your local paper, or for your favorite magazine… who knows! We’ll all be proud to say we “knew” you back when you wrote that amazing blog!
October 19th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Nicole, So sad to hear you are leaving us, but I just wanted to say thanks for you work.
Just over a year ago, I moved to SoCal and was a bit lost. All new stores! I found your website because I was looking for deals in Cali, which always seemed to be different from other parts of the country (not California, but the deals. Okay, California is different, too.
You became my first California “friend.”
I no longer live in CA, but I will always appreciate you!
Blessings, Alicia Bradley
October 19th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I do have a family blog, but unfortunately it really fell to the sidelines once this blog got going. It is one of the things that I am really looking forward to getting back to! Thanks for your kind words.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thank you everyone for your sweet comments. You all are so supportive. I have the best readers!
October 19th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I have appreciated your work, but I say, Good decision! Congrats–you have a beautiful family!
<3
October 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Thank you so much for your work. I am so glad that you have decided to spend more time with your family. I always wondered how you could do it all. Family is the most important thing! You are amazing!
October 20th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I was afraid of couponing before I started reading your blog. You have really changed things for my family. We are able to do so much more with the same amount of money! I’ll always be grateful for your help in getting me started. Being a mommy is the best job ever!! Yay for you!!
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Good for you. You will be missed in the blogging/couponing world, but you are doing the right thing. Being a mommy is the best job and the mose all consuming job. Thanks for all your great deals!
October 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
I just wanted to say Thanks for posting your favorite deal saver sites! Some of them I have saved already and a few I didn’t know about. Good for you for putting your family first!! You can never re-do those years of parenting. Many Blessings to you and your family!! I am sure you will post when you can.