I have never been a big one for coupon clipping, but I do try. Especially with formula and diapers these days. Those items get quite expensive!
And I can only imagine the cost of feeding a family....it's worth the time to clip coupons.
A friend told me about an online coupon site yesterday. She isn't tight on money, but she said, "Why wouldn't I print coupons and use them to save us money?"
It's called coupons.com
Looks like there are plenty to choose from!
Here's a website I've heard good things about:www.pocketyourdollars.com
It is a neat inter-active site that answers your questions as well as helps you save money.
I am not sure if you can use the coupons if you are outside the Twin City area, but it might be worth a try!
Happy Shopping!
"Will the recession make you fat?" was the title of a segment on the Today Show this morning. You can read the online article here.
There were some great shopping tips and good reminders on how to save money when going grocery shopping.
Many consumers think it's too expensive to eat healthy (fresh fruits and veggies are expensive). Buy fresh fruit and vegetables when they are on sale or buy frozen. They suggest scaling back on eating out and you'll save money there. Limit excessive snack-buying (pre-packaged snacks can be spendy). Buy larger containers of yogurt, cereal, and snacks and divide into smaller portions.
Stop buying beverages such as fancy coffee, fruit drinks, fruit juices, soda, and bottled water. Invest in a home filtering system and guzzle clean, good (and virtually free!) water. They made the recommendation to buy a few colorful water bottles and keep those filled with cold, refreshing water. I got a Camelbak water bottle for Christmas this year and it sits on my counter (or in my bedroom or living room) all day and I keep filling it with my filtered water. This helps me to rarely drink pop or other sugary beverages. Sames goes for my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. They bought a few Camelbak water bottles and refill them constantly. We are all learning how these healthier and cheaper habits can benefit our budget and our waistline!
You can read all the food tips and suggestions online (it's worth your time!).
Another angle of the segment was that when people are stressed they eat more - and they tend to eat more comfort foods. People who are feeling discouraged or depressed, will also exercise less and prefer to spend time as a 'couch potato.' In hard economic times, people stop their personal trainers, quit their gym memberships, and get little exercise. They suggest choosing exercises that are free such as working out at home using tv exercise shows or walking. Exercise is exactly what we all need to help with depression and give us more joyful attitudes in these hard times.
The Today Show also noted that people turn to alcohol to calm them down when they are anxious and nervous about the economy. Alcohol is a depressant so it can make things worse if someone is already struggling through a tough situation.
This week Barb and I will share some healthy and budget-friendly recipes. If you have ones to share please comment or e-mail us - we'd love to post your recipes and we'd love to try them out ourselves!
Hopefully, a few of the money-saving tips we shared with you this week sparked an interest to be mindful of your spending/saving habits.
Here's one of the better tips I've heard. Freeze a block of ice in your freezer. Just as it hardens, slip your credit card into the middle of it! If you have more than one card, freeze as many ice blocks as you need. Store them in your freezer for an emergency...then use cash to purchase your necessities.
I am told that freezing the cards will not damage the magnetic strips, so no excuses for not putting your Visa on 'ice' for awhile!
What a great Home Improvement exercise this could be for all of us to eliminate needless spending over the holidays.
It's never easy to cut back on spending, especially at the grocery store!
My husband and I have lived on commission for most of our married life, so I have found over the years it is easier to have a system in place for sensible shopping, rather than cut corners severely when the income wasn't there. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Shop with a plan. I always try to have a list along when I shop and stick to that list! I make a weekly menu and make sure I have the items I need for the meals I will be serving. If the budget is lean, I choose recipes that are economical.
2. I found a 'planned menu' keeps variety on the table.
3. Emilie Barnes taught me to shop within a half hour. A study suggested that customers spent at least 75 cents a minute after a half-hour in the store! This is another reason to shop with a list!
4. I try to avoid rush hour and busy weekends...and try never to shop when I am hungry!
5. I buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season...lots of corn on the cob in the summer, and then I buy squash in the fall. In-season foods are tastier and cheaper.
6. I try to shop alone. Even my husband will throw in 'extras' that we don't need when I am trying to keep my spending down. Kids will slow your shopping down and will plead for everything they've seen advertised on TV!
7. I will stock up when the money comes in, and then I live 'out of the pantry' when the money is tight. Creativity and 'presentation of the food' can be fun challenge to master as you serve your family and still maintain a budget.
Join us and share your money-saving tips. Help us all be better stewards of our money.
My home, cute as it is, was built in 1938 and it's cold!
I've been working all day on an article that's due this week and as I type my fingers are ice cold. ICE COLD.
It is 31 degrees outside and thermostat in my home is set at 69 degrees...I am unusually cold at all times...so I've got to do something or it will be a very chilly winter in the May household.
Rather than crank up my thermostat and pay the consequences later, I did a little research on how to keep my home temperature high and my heating bills low.
According to WCCO television, the average family spends $1,000 a year to heat its home. Here are a few tips to help reduce heating costs this winter:
Check outlets on outer walls. If they are letting in cold air, plug em.
If you have an attic door(s) use weather stripping to seal the attic door.
Seal all windows (or add plastic to them like we did!).
Turn down the thermometer at night and when you are not at home. Get a prgrammable thermostat (for as little as $32). Turn your thermostat to 68 during the day and lower at night or when you are gone for extended periods of time.
Replace or clean furnace filters once a month. And be sure to schedule a furnace tune-up so it is running efficiently.
Let the sunshine in....open blinds/drapes and let nature heat your home on sunny days. Close them when the sun goes down or on cloudy days - it keeps the warmth in.
Close off vents and rooms that are not used daily. Keep the warmth in the rooms you reside in most often.
If you live in a newer home you probably don't have to worry about attics or old windows. But if your home is big, it still takes a lot of energy to heat.
Don't we all have other things we would rather spend our money on than the heating bill? Lets be wise stewards of our resources...and reap the rewards later!
We apologize for the interruption on this blog. A gremlin shut it down for a bit, but I think we are good to go again...is there anyone still checking out this blog? I hope so, because Stacy and I are excited to kick-off the holiday season with money-saving tips!
It isn't fun heading into the Christmas season with a tough economy and many jobs on the line, but it's a great time to really focus on the meaning of Christmas and make that shine in your home this year.
Creativity is the key, I think. Be creative when you are thinking of giving gifts.
This year, tell your friends that you will spend time rather than money and plan an evening when you can just hang out together.
Give a photo of you or your family to grandma and grandpa rather than buy an expensive present.
Bake with your children and give away the bounty.
Use cash to purchase the rest of your gifts. If you don't have the money, don't spend it!
Focus on making memories, not debt.
Do a fun, simple project with your kids every day during December as you count down to Christmas. By the time the 25th arrives, you will have made 25 memories and gifts will not be the focus. Need examples? With or without kids, you can...
Go caroling one night
Take several nights to decorate your home
Light candles and spend the evening remembering past Christmases
Set a pretty table every night in honor of Christ's birth
String popcorn and cranberries
Read several Christmas books out loud throughout the season
Wear red one day every week. Wear green one day every week!
Make your own wrapping paper by stamping veggies in paint and pressing on butcher paper!
Got the idea? Be creative...and only use cash when buying presents this year. Not only will you have a Merry Christmas, but also a Happy New Year...debt-free!
Raising a family while being self-employed has given me alot of opportunity to learn lessons! Not the least of which was what to do when our income didn't match our expenses. I had to learn quickly how to cut corners and be mindful of how and why I was spending.
Our kids were quite young when we first felt the pinch in our finances. We developed new habits and fun activities as a result:
1. I made a summer and winter cookbook. I cooked only recipes that could be made on the stove-top or didn't need to be heated at all. In an effort to conserve energy, I kept the oven off practically all summer. There were days of rain or cool temperatures when I would turn on the oven just for variety, but I don't think that was more than a day or two! This plan was so successful, I followed it for years. It really made summer and winter take on a whole new look in our home.
2. We planted a huge vegetable garden. We ate most of our bounty and occasionally the kids would set up a 'produce' stand and sell the excess at the curb! They got to keep the profits!
3. I got in the habit of always packing a lunch before we headed out for our day trips. McDonalds and Burger King were a rare treat. Not only did we save money, the kids ate healthier and never really expected a treat along the way.
4. I started giving the kids an allowance. They became very proficient in spending their own money if they wanted something special. They were taught to divide the allowance into 4 parts; savings, church, gifts and me-money. All three of our children are good money managers today!
5. Occasionally I would give them $5.00 when we went to the grocery store and I challenged them to shop for what they wanted...to see if they could stay within $5.00.
Simple activities, but they built good habits in my children as well as me!
As gas prices and groceries continue to go up in price, maybe this is a good time to re-assess your family's finances and see if you need to encourage new activities and habits!
Have fun while you are at it!!
