Reflecting on One Year...

It's our FIRST BIRTHDAY!!

So, how did this all get started?

One day Cathy suggested to Monica that she wanted to start a website to help the ladies at church to find out about the good sales at the grocery stores. Monica thought to herself that this sounded like a lot of work and did not jump at the opportunity to help.

Cathy came up with the name Bargain Babes (but her hubby shot it down!). Then she came up with Fabulessly Frugal and started a cute little website - just for fun!

After a few weeks Monica started sending post idea's to Cathy via email and Cathy would post them. Soon Monica joined Cathy in posting. Kearna and Trisha joined too, but they did not become obsessed with posting like we were (ha ha!).

We realized in January that our site was quickly building momentum and that we might have a money making opportunity on our hands. Who wouldn't love to see their blog make a lot of money? As we talked about this, we decided we didn't want money to become an issue. We didn't want the blog to lose it's integrity. We did not this to cause us to get greedy and burn our friends. Nor did we want this to get in the way of our precious children and husbands. So we haven't taken it to the next level.

So why do we do it?

Well, we sincerely want to see other people that are struggling in this economy learn to be fabuless and live on less!



But even more than that, we like it! It is our fun little hobbie!

• We love finding and sharing deals


• We love reading email and comments from our FAB readers


• We love being the "expert" (well sometimes) on all things coupon


• We love that we have made so many awesome new friends


• And of course, we still get giddy when we leave the store paying pennies on the dollar!!!

We have met some Fab ladies in the process...

Amber: She came to help us with the yard sale for three days in a row, donating hours of her time to help people she had never met before.

Crissie: Has spent hours setting out Albertsons ads for ladies to come to her house to pick up double coupons.

Cheryl: The best at finding sweet catalina deals! She donated items to the yard sale and made the best cookies ever for the bake sale.

Amy: Gives us the inside scoop on the doubles and helps us spread the coupon love.

Not to mention all the FABULOUS ladies that we get to meet when we teach classes! We consider those evenings a fun GNO (girls night out)!

And there are so many more of you!

Monica here: When I started blogging on Fab frug I did not know Cathy very well. In fact I knew her husband better from playing volleyball. This past year I have gotten to know her much better through blogging, hundreds of emails, late night IM chats, and Fab Frug classes! She has become a very good friend! So on our Birthday I celebrate friendship!

Now it's MY turn (Cathy): Aww, thanks Monica! It's been a lot of fun getting to know Monica. We are different in so many ways... she has two kids, I have (nearly) seven. She is a natural skeptic and isn't afraid to question things. I'm naive and overly trusting. She's always been a frugal person, and I've only started to change my mindset just a little over a year ago! We balance each other out fabulously and I am so happy she is not only my blogging buddy, but a true friend!

We thank you our fabulous readers. We never intended to have this many readers. And it all happened through word of mouth. Thank YOU for sharing the "couponing love". We love meeting you at the store, and appreciate all the kind words you say to us.

We ♥ our fabulously frugal readers!!