Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I'm making a good exception
I've decided to add an exception to our rules but I think it's a good one. I am going to buy seeds and plants to grow myself a little garden. I grow zucchini every year and forgot to let one grow really big so I could get the seeds out of it last year so I'm going to have to buy seeds for that. I'm going to add strawberries this year. Not only are homegrown ones WAY better than the store bought ones, but I think they will be fun for the girls to watch grow and they can pick them. I'm not sure what other seeds I'm going to get yet, but Fred Meyer has a coupon this week for seeds buy 2 get 1 free. I'm also thinking about growing some grape tomatoes and I am ordering a blueberry bush that you put in a planter on your porch. I saw it on an insert in the ads in the Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago and have two other people ordering some with me.
Friday, January 23, 2009
I've discovered couponing!
We had a class at church last week about couponing. This isn't your mom's couponing either. We're not talking about saving $0.35 here and there. We're talking about saving HUNDREDS of dollars WEEKLY! If you do it right and are patient you can get brand name items at regular grocery stores (like Albertsons) for pennies on the dollar. It's very addicting. I get a sort of high every time I'm told how much I saved. What's great too is that you can stay within your budget but get more items. As an example I'll tell you what I've come to call the "soup can analogy." Let's say you have budgeted $1.20 for a can of soup. Now let's say that you have a coupon that allows you to get that same soup for only $0.40. You've already allotted $1.20 so you now get to buy three instead of just one. That's how you're able to build up a bit of a food storage without spending extra money.
There are three types of coupons:
Manufacturer (says manufacturer right on the top of the coupon)
Store Coupons (doesn't say manufacturer, but has the store name at the top instead)
Catalina Coupons (printed at the register out of the little catalina machine) these can me OYNO (on your next order-use like cash) or Manufacturer coupons. Read the fine print.
Where to find coupons:
The Sunday paper: You can get more than one subscription to be delivered to your home, or you can pick up copies at Wal-Mart, or some gas stations for about $1.00 each.
Printables: There are thousands of coupons to be had, and printed from your own computer! Each month there are new ones coming out for different products! It can be very time consuming and you can get bogged down with needless advertising when searching for these, that is why I use a great website called: http://pinchingyourpennies.com/
Here's what you do:
1. Get a junk emial address
2. Set your printer up to print in black only
3. Buy a lot of paper (that you can get cheap if you look for deals)
4. Check back regularly
5. Don't forget to print them twice! (back-refresh-retry) NO PHOTOCOPIES!!!!
Pinchingyourpennies.com
From the first screen click on FORUMS up on the task bar
My favorite place to go is Screaming Deals by State. For Idaho, there are Albertsons, Smiths and Broulims. For your state there will be whatever stores you have locally.
Printing Pennies: This is updated daily with the latest printable coupons as well as a list of the monthly printables on the sticky at the top.
Screaming Deals Around Town: contains the weekly Walgreens deas as well as deals from other stores like, Walmart, Shopko, Kmart and Target.
Screaming Deals Online: Several fantastic online deals on everything from toys to Q-tips! It also has lists of coupon codes you can use on many online shopping sites, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Buy.com and others.
The Pinchingyourpennies forums are very useful when you are trying to make the best deals! People leave comments and ideas to help guide you in your coupon efforts.
How to organize your coupons
There are several ways to get organized! The more organized you are, the more likely you are to use those coupons!
A small photo album: This is a great way to start if you aren't going to go gung ho! It fits in your purse or car and is there when you see that item you want t ouse it on.
A binder: This is my choice. It may seem excessive, but it keeps you organized and will help to maximize your coupon experience! I use 9 pocket baseball card pages to hold the coupons and divider tabs to divide them into categories.
Keep it current: Check your binder frequently for expired coupons; you can donate them to the military! Infomation about that is found here: http://www.ocpnet.org
REMEMBER: The biggest killer of a coupon shopper is FORGETTING YOUR COUPONS!
Ready...Set...Shop! How to use those coupons!
NEVER use a coupon on a full priced item unless you have to have it now.
ALWAYS shop the sales, check your local stores' websites and fliers for good deals fo the week.
STOCK UP! When something goes on sale and you have acoupon that makes it an even better sale, don't just buy one... Buy as many as you can afford...the more you do this the more purchasing power you will have.
STACK COUPONS: use a manufacturers coupon along with a store coupon to get the best deal! (You can't use more than ONE manufacturers coupon per item...they won't let you do it, don't even try, it's coupon fraud.)
ROLL OVER sales and PROMO's: This is a great way to maximize your purchasing pwer! Example: last week at Albertsons they did a promo that when you buy $30 worth of certain items you will receive 3- $5 catalina coupons($15.00) to use toward your next purchase! Maximize your purchasing power by using your manufacturer coupons with this promo, and only purchase $30 worth of these items in one transaction! You can roll the $15 onto your next purchase to get your items for 1/2 price! And don't forget to use your manufacturer coupons on this next purchase to lower the cost even more!
Stocking up that pantry
There are several things you can do to stock up your pantry without spending a whole lot more money!
1. Evaluate what your family usus on a regular basis and keep an eagle eye out for the sales on these items. (Don't forget those coupons!)
2. Purchase as many of these items as you can afford or that you have coupons for. If you are looking at purchasing a large amount of these items or you are adding to a stockpile that you have already been accumulating, be sure and check the EXPIRATION DATE...Think "How many of these will I use before they expire?"
3. Remember that you can freeze or can excess purchases.
4. Expensive items, such as laundry soap, deodorant, toothpase and shampoo can always be purchased for much less than you think! Stock up when they are on sale and then you can use that budgeted money toward future sale purchases.
5. Be organized. Know what you have in your pantry and where you can improve.
6. Where am I going to put all that stuff?? You will find a place...be creative...wouldn't you rather have boxes of cereal under your children's bed than dirty laundry??
Just a couple things before I'm done:
1. On pinchingyourpennies.com you'll see people use abbreviations for the newspaper inserts. They are: RP-Red Plum, SS-Smart Source, PG-Proctor & Gamble.
2. Have you ever noticed that the junk mail you get only uses one side of the sheet of paper? Use the other side to print your coupons on.
DON'T GET OVERWHELMED!
Start out small and add more as you get the hang of it!
There are three types of coupons:
Manufacturer (says manufacturer right on the top of the coupon)
Store Coupons (doesn't say manufacturer, but has the store name at the top instead)
Catalina Coupons (printed at the register out of the little catalina machine) these can me OYNO (on your next order-use like cash) or Manufacturer coupons. Read the fine print.
Where to find coupons:
The Sunday paper: You can get more than one subscription to be delivered to your home, or you can pick up copies at Wal-Mart, or some gas stations for about $1.00 each.
Printables: There are thousands of coupons to be had, and printed from your own computer! Each month there are new ones coming out for different products! It can be very time consuming and you can get bogged down with needless advertising when searching for these, that is why I use a great website called: http://pinchingyourpennies.com/
Here's what you do:
1. Get a junk emial address
2. Set your printer up to print in black only
3. Buy a lot of paper (that you can get cheap if you look for deals)
4. Check back regularly
5. Don't forget to print them twice! (back-refresh-retry) NO PHOTOCOPIES!!!!
Pinchingyourpennies.com
From the first screen click on FORUMS up on the task bar
My favorite place to go is Screaming Deals by State. For Idaho, there are Albertsons, Smiths and Broulims. For your state there will be whatever stores you have locally.
Printing Pennies: This is updated daily with the latest printable coupons as well as a list of the monthly printables on the sticky at the top.
Screaming Deals Around Town: contains the weekly Walgreens deas as well as deals from other stores like, Walmart, Shopko, Kmart and Target.
Screaming Deals Online: Several fantastic online deals on everything from toys to Q-tips! It also has lists of coupon codes you can use on many online shopping sites, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Buy.com and others.
The Pinchingyourpennies forums are very useful when you are trying to make the best deals! People leave comments and ideas to help guide you in your coupon efforts.
How to organize your coupons
There are several ways to get organized! The more organized you are, the more likely you are to use those coupons!
A small photo album: This is a great way to start if you aren't going to go gung ho! It fits in your purse or car and is there when you see that item you want t ouse it on.
A binder: This is my choice. It may seem excessive, but it keeps you organized and will help to maximize your coupon experience! I use 9 pocket baseball card pages to hold the coupons and divider tabs to divide them into categories.
Keep it current: Check your binder frequently for expired coupons; you can donate them to the military! Infomation about that is found here: http://www.ocpnet.org
REMEMBER: The biggest killer of a coupon shopper is FORGETTING YOUR COUPONS!
Ready...Set...Shop! How to use those coupons!
NEVER use a coupon on a full priced item unless you have to have it now.
ALWAYS shop the sales, check your local stores' websites and fliers for good deals fo the week.
STOCK UP! When something goes on sale and you have acoupon that makes it an even better sale, don't just buy one... Buy as many as you can afford...the more you do this the more purchasing power you will have.
STACK COUPONS: use a manufacturers coupon along with a store coupon to get the best deal! (You can't use more than ONE manufacturers coupon per item...they won't let you do it, don't even try, it's coupon fraud.)
ROLL OVER sales and PROMO's: This is a great way to maximize your purchasing pwer! Example: last week at Albertsons they did a promo that when you buy $30 worth of certain items you will receive 3- $5 catalina coupons($15.00) to use toward your next purchase! Maximize your purchasing power by using your manufacturer coupons with this promo, and only purchase $30 worth of these items in one transaction! You can roll the $15 onto your next purchase to get your items for 1/2 price! And don't forget to use your manufacturer coupons on this next purchase to lower the cost even more!
Stocking up that pantry
There are several things you can do to stock up your pantry without spending a whole lot more money!
1. Evaluate what your family usus on a regular basis and keep an eagle eye out for the sales on these items. (Don't forget those coupons!)
2. Purchase as many of these items as you can afford or that you have coupons for. If you are looking at purchasing a large amount of these items or you are adding to a stockpile that you have already been accumulating, be sure and check the EXPIRATION DATE...Think "How many of these will I use before they expire?"
3. Remember that you can freeze or can excess purchases.
4. Expensive items, such as laundry soap, deodorant, toothpase and shampoo can always be purchased for much less than you think! Stock up when they are on sale and then you can use that budgeted money toward future sale purchases.
5. Be organized. Know what you have in your pantry and where you can improve.
6. Where am I going to put all that stuff?? You will find a place...be creative...wouldn't you rather have boxes of cereal under your children's bed than dirty laundry??
Just a couple things before I'm done:
1. On pinchingyourpennies.com you'll see people use abbreviations for the newspaper inserts. They are: RP-Red Plum, SS-Smart Source, PG-Proctor & Gamble.
2. Have you ever noticed that the junk mail you get only uses one side of the sheet of paper? Use the other side to print your coupons on.
DON'T GET OVERWHELMED!
Start out small and add more as you get the hang of it!
Friday, January 9, 2009
First unexpected "have to" spend of the year
Our furnace decided that it needed to go out on us. We woke up to a crisp 60 degree house. Luckily when we bought the house we got a warranty on it that we've renewed every year. It's been the best $350 a year we've spent because we've had thing go out every year that would have cost many times more than that to replace. We pay a $55 service charge and everything else is taken care of by the warranty company. We've had our old furnace serviced multiple times until they found a crack in one of the pipes which got us a brand new $2,000 furnace, we've had our water heater replaced and we also had half of a room rewired. It pays for itself every year. I guess that's what we get for living in a house built in '72 that's had a string of not-so-smart do-it-yourselfers. So, today we had to get our furnace fixed, but at least it was only $55.
$15 under budget!
I was putting together my meal plan for the next week today and decided that I should try to use up some of the food we have here because we're running out of room in our small pantry. I was able to put together a grocery list with only 7 things on it and one of those things was even a bit of a treat for my girls. I went to the store and when I got my total it was only $35! That's for an entire week's worth of food for our family. I was shocked at how much I was able to put together here at the house to save that money. It's a nice bonus that we were under this week because it's my husband's week to drive the carpool so he has to fill up his tank completely. I'm so happy about this week's results!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
My first grocery shopping trip of the year
I did it! I stayed under $50 for a week's worth of food for my family. My total was $49.67. I think I should be fair by adding that we get WIC so some of our food items are covered. I was so impressed with myself. It was kind of fun figuring out ways to save as I went along.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Our rules
What we can spend on:
Monthly bills
Gasoline
Food-$50 a week, no eating out even if there's money left over
Dish soap, toothpaste, toiletries
Needed medication that may arise
Medical bills that may arise
Car repair and maintenance
Pre-determined list to use our tax return on
Anything we want with $100 each out of our return
If someone wants a custom knit order I can get the yarn
If I do a trade with someone I can get the yarn
I can use some of my Scentsy pay check to go back into the business if I need it
One new outfit for my 10 year reunion this summer
Other rules:
All cash and checks go into the bank for bills
Gift cards can be used at the store they came from for whatever we want
We will use the remainder of our tax return money to pay down what we still owe on our van
When my husband's grandma's house sells and we get our money from it we will pay off one of our large amount debts then use the rest toward the van
Goals:
Get on top of monthly expenses
Pay off the van early (not necessarily this year)
Be able to start paying on our student loans
Monthly bills
Gasoline
Food-$50 a week, no eating out even if there's money left over
Dish soap, toothpaste, toiletries
Needed medication that may arise
Medical bills that may arise
Car repair and maintenance
Pre-determined list to use our tax return on
Anything we want with $100 each out of our return
If someone wants a custom knit order I can get the yarn
If I do a trade with someone I can get the yarn
I can use some of my Scentsy pay check to go back into the business if I need it
One new outfit for my 10 year reunion this summer
Other rules:
All cash and checks go into the bank for bills
Gift cards can be used at the store they came from for whatever we want
We will use the remainder of our tax return money to pay down what we still owe on our van
When my husband's grandma's house sells and we get our money from it we will pay off one of our large amount debts then use the rest toward the van
Goals:
Get on top of monthly expenses
Pay off the van early (not necessarily this year)
Be able to start paying on our student loans
Today our adventure begins
My husband Jake and I have decided to borrow an idea I saw others doing and we're having a no spend year. Yes, we can spend money, but not on any extras. Everything we will spend will be on necessities. Our goal is to get ahead on our bills so we're able to pay them on time instead of having late fees and also be able to pay all of them every month. Right now we have months where we decide which bills can wait until the next month and I'm not going to live that way anymore. We also want to be able to start putting some money away into a savings account to have to lean on just in case. We have a list of rules that I will post. I'm looking forward to this challenge because I'm anxious to see how much we're able to get put away and how our lives will be better. Please join me for the ride!
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