Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Saving Money Mommy's Tip- Protecting Your Valuables

My tip today is to protect the valuables you already have.  I've heard numerous stories lately about purse snatching in grocery stores and parking lots.  Make sure you always keep your purse with you.  Don't keep it in the baby seat of the shopping cart.  If you do, you risk losing your purse when you turn to get something.  Also, don't leave it in the shopping cart or front seat of the car when you load up your groceries.  Someone may drive by and grab it out of your cart or take it out of your car when you're not looking.

Another thing going on a lot lately are purses and wallets being stolen from gas stations while you are pumping gas.  Always lock the passenger side door and don't leave valuables in site when pumping gas.

Just make sure you are always alert and keep your valuables safe.  It's hard enough to make ends meet nowadays without having your wallet and credit cards stolen.  It's a terrible thing I hope none of you have to experience.

Go out today, be safe and get a great deal!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Quicken Software Discount


I've been using Quicken for a few years now after Microsoft Money went away.  Much to my chagrin, they sent me an email telling me I had to upgrade to the latest Quicken software in order to keep online access for my accounts.  It wasn't just a $10.00 upgrade like it should be.  It would cost me $74.99, the full price of the software!  I decided I would leave Quicken and find an alternative.  The problem was I couldn't find another accounting software I liked.  I shopped all around and decided to find a way around paying $74.99.

I found a site called Discount Flair.  They had the Quicken software I needed for $23.49.  They sent me the software link immediately through email and it works great.

I'm still not happy about having to pay anything, but I like using Quicken to track all my accounts in one place.

My lesson here is by shopping around, you can save money.  I saved $51.50 this time.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Saving Money Mommy's Tip- Car Maintenance


You can actually save money by keeping up with your car maintenance.  There are so many major (and expensive) problems that can crop up if you don't do some maintenance on a regular basis.  You need to read the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual and follow it.  Two very simple and relatively inexpensive things you can do on a regular basis are:

  • Oil change- About every 3,000 to 4,000 miles
  • Rotate your tires- If you don't do this about every other oil change (or as recommended in your owner's manual), you will definitely need new tires sooner.  I learned this the hard way after wearing out my two front tires much sooner than expected by not rotating them.
Keep up with your regular maintenance and keep your car longer. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Exercise

Do you pay a monthly gym membership?  Do you get your money's worth?  I belonged to a gym many years ago, paid my monthly dues and was lucky if I went once a month.  What a waste of money!  There are so many ways to stay fit while saving money.

On some cable tv services is a channel called Exercise On Demand.  I found a great workout on this channel that I can do right in my living room whenever I want.  The best part is that it doesn't cost any extra. 

Now that the weather is nicer (in Florida at least), get out and take a walk.  It is a great workout and best of all, it's FREE. 

Some gyms even offer a pay per day fee.  I tried this at a gym next door to the preschool.  I can drop the kids off and take a class.  This is a great gym, but I would never get my money's worth if I signed up for a whole month.

Staying fit is so important, but it doesn't have to cost you a lot.

Go out today and get a great deal!    

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Gifts

Buying gifts can really eat into your budget.  There are gifts to buy for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, teacher gifts, etc.  You need to sit down and evaluate who you really need to buy for.  If you simply don't have the money, don't feel obligated to buy something.  Sometimes a phone call or card is just as wonderful as a gift.

We had to eliminate birthday gifts for nephews and nieces.  We went from one to thirteen children and knew it wasn't possible to buy for all of them.  We don't live near any of them and had to ship the gifts as well.  We call the kids on their birthdays and sing to them or send a card.

Christmas is right around the corner.  I made a bunch of homemade cookies and candy last year for Christmas gifts.  I put them on pretty Christmas plates and wrapped them in cellophane.  Everyone loved them! 

My point is that great gifts don't have to cost a fortune.  Search online for homemade gifts and see all the different things you can do with not a lot of money.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Grocery Shopping List

Before you go to the grocery store, you must have a good list put together along with your coupons if you want to save money.  Head to Southern Savers first and find your grocery store's weekly ad along with the coupon match-ups.

There are boxes next to every item on sale that you can check off if you are interested in buying that item.  The coupons that go along with that item are also listed.  If there is an internet coupon, print it.  When you are done going through the list, click the "Create List" button at the bottom and it will create your list that you can print out.  Find the coupons you need, put them in a pile along with your grocery list and head out.

Now if you are just starting out couponing, you may not have all the coupons.  Buy at least two Sunday papers each week and pick up coupons whenever you see them.  In no time, you will have most of the coupons you need.

I've been using Southern Savers for a couple of months now to help me create my grocery lists.  I love it because it's FREE and it saves me more time than any other site I've tried.

Not all grocery stores in the country are listed on this site.  The prices of the items listed may vary from area to area so cross reference it with your paper weekly ad if you want the actual price.  Also, it may talk about double coupons and not all areas double coupons.

Email me at savingmoneymommy@yahoo.com  if you have any questions.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Kids Lunches

My life lately has revolved around the kids and school.  That is why my blog posts are few and far between these days.  I was thinking about how to save money on my kids' lunches so that is what I'll be writing about today. 

Juice boxes and Capri Suns can add up quickly, especially when you have three kids.  I went to Walmart and bought two FUNtainer Bottles for a $12.98 each.  My daughter loves Dora and one of my sons loves Lightning McQueen.  I fill them mostly with water and a little juice.  They are going to save me money in the long run and they are healthier for the kids than a juice box.  My oldest son is not big on any of the characters on the FUNtainer Bottles, so I'll still have to buy some Capri Suns for him until I find an alternative.

I also use plastic containers whenever I can instead of the plastic baggies since plastic bags can add up quickly too.  The kids just throw the plastic containers back in their lunch bags and I wash them when they get home.  You can wash and reuse plastic bags too, but I find the containers are easier.

Please send me a comment about what you do for your kids' lunches.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Shelf Life for Laundry Products


My tip for today is to watch the expiration dates on the things you buy and stockpile for awhile.  I bought a few bottles of Purex Fabric Softener a couple of years ago and was down to my last bottle.  Most fabric softeners do not have expiration dates on them, so I had no idea they do expire.  The fabric softener comes in a transparent bottle.  I noticed that it had started to separate.  The creamy part was on the bottom and a clear yellow liquid was at the top.  It was also very thick when I poured it.  It was out in my hot garage so I thought it was due to the heat.  I called Purex and they had me read a set of numbers and letters from the bottle.  Once I read it, they said that particular bottle had expired and fabric softener was only good for two years.  I also have Purex laundry detergent and asked them about that too.  They told me that Purex liquid laundry detergent is only good for one year.  I was shocked!  I have ten bottles stockpiled right now.  I'm going to check the codes on them and see how old they are.  This is the way to interpret Purex:

This is the code on my bottle: PM9L051L80
The 3rd digit, which is "9" in this case, means it was made in 2009.  A "0" would mean 2010.
The 4th digit, which is "L" in this case, means the month.  The month codes are as follows:
A= January
B= February
C= March
D= April
E= May
F= June
G= July
H= August
K= September
L= October
M= November
N= December

The 5th and 6th digits which in this case are "05" means the day.  So in this case, my laundry detergent was manufactured on October 5, 2009.  I didn't buy this that long ago and in terms of expiration dates, I would only have about 1 1/2 months left for this bottle.  Now this bottle is not clear, so I wouldn't notice a difference in the appearance after the expiration date like I did with the fabric softener.  I heard that laundry detergent would get thinner as opposed to fabric softener which gets thicker after the expiration date.  I don't know if that's true, but I do know that I will keep this code chart with me in my coupon file and check the next time I buy Purex laundry detergent and/or fabric softener.

I also called the manufacturer of All to get their expiration codes.  The code on the cap of the bottle is as follows:
031510WU1
The 031510 means that the bottle of laundry detergent was manufactured on March 15, 2010.  They told me that their laundry detergent has a 3 year shelf life so it would be good until March 15, 2013.

I also called the manufacturer of Arm & Hammer.  I have a bottle of Arm & Hammer 2X Concentration Laundry Detergent in Clean Burst.  They told me this product has an indefinite shelf life if stored properly.

I also called Clorox who makes Green Works laundry detergent.  The code on the bottle is as follows:
KC9177 2122
The 3rd Digit is the last digit of the year.  9=2009, 0=2010
The 177 = the Julian Day.  001 would be January 1st, 002 would be January 2nd and so on.  In this case, 177 is June 25th so my laundry detergent was manufactured on June 26, 2009.  The representative at Clorox said that for the best quality, this laundry detergent should be used within one year.  After that, it may not clean as well.

My last call went to Proctor & Gamble for my bottle of Downy Fabric Softener.  The code on the bottle is as follows:
01791626E10710
The first digit is the last digit of the year.  0= 2010
The next three digits is the Julian Day.  In this case, 179 is June 28th so my fabric softener was manufactured on June 28, 2010.  The rep told me that the shelf life for this product is one year.  He said that the product could be good to use after on year, but it was not guaranteed.

I learned a lot from this test and I hope you did too.  I just can't believe that the manufacturers all have different shelf life dates for laundry products!  Watch those expiration codes and don't stockpile more than you can handle.  Go out today and get a great deal!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Frivolous Spending

There are so many new gadgets out there lately.  I am feeling more like "grandma" when it comes to the latest technology.  I don't know much about iPhones or Blackberries.  I have a prepaid cell phone that costs around $100/yr. because that is all I need.  A phone with all the bells and whistles would be a waste of money for me.  I just use my cell for emergencies and quick calls.  I am not going to go out and buy something just because everyone else has one. 

So many people run out and buy something when it first comes out on the market just to say they have it.  You will never be able to reduce your debt and save money unless you cut out frivolous spending.  Hold off before you buy something and consider if it is really worth it. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Rainchecks

Don't you just hate it when you get the store to buy something on sale and they are all out?  It happens to me way too often!  I always try to get a raincheck when a sale item is out of stock.  I currently have a big stack of rainchecks in my coupon file.  Most rainchecks never expire and they sometimes turn out to be a very good thing to have. 

Sometimes there are no coupons available when an item is on sale.  If I end up getting a raincheck on an item, I can hold on to it until I find a coupon for that item.  That is a great time to cash in on the raincheck.  You will get the original sale price plus the coupon discount for even better savings.

Another advantage to having a raincheck is if one of your favorite items is not on sale very often.  If you run out of your favorite item and it's not on sale, you can use your raincheck instead of having to pay full price.  Stores are often out of the sale items on the last day of a sale or a Monday morning after a busy weekend.  You can sometimes get a lot of rainchecks those days.

Just don't lose those rainchecks and they will pay off for you one day. 
Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Hotels

Since I just got back from vacation and am still in a "vacation" frame of mind, I thought I'd share some tips on how to save money at hotels.  I had to book two unconsecutive nights this summer for my family and wanted the best deal of course.  I searched around the internet and discovered that Best Western had a deal where you get a FREE night when you stay twice this summer.  I thought we could use the FREE night near Disney in the fall.  I went to the Best Western site through ShopAtHome to get 4% cash back and booked the rooms.  If we didn't have three small children, we probably wouldn't have booked the rooms in advance.  You can get some great deals by walking into a hotel lobby the evening of your stay.  Just make sure to leave your family and luggage in the car during negotiations.  Don't accept the first price they quote you and ask them for a better price.  Most of the time they will give you a good deal.  They would rather have you stay in the room at a discounted price than to keep the room empty. 

There are often special hotel rates for AAA members.  Sam's Club and other organizations also have special hotel discounts for their members.  You may need an ID # or special phone number to obtain these discounts. 

Check around, but remember to never settle for the standard rate.  Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip

I will be taking the Summer off from my Tuesday Tips.  I will continue to post deals when I can.
As always, go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Don't Give Up

My tip today is quite short.  Saving money is a wonderful thing.  It can also be a frustrating thing if you run into uncooperative cashiers when using coupons, always find the items you want out of stock, come up with a great deal only to find out the coupon has expired, etc. etc.  Don't give up!  I've been doing this for a long time and still get frustrated.  Just take a deep breath and start over.  Don't ever pay retail and keep getting those deals.  It will definitely be worth it!

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Coupon Organization

You don't have to tell me how coupons can take over your life.  I am still working on trying to organize my coupons more efficiently so they are not scattered all around the house.  I have an old diaper wipes box that contains the entire coupon inserts sorted by date.  I also have a shoebox-sized coupon box to house coupons I've cut out, received in the mail, found in a store, etc.  I also put my rainchecks in there.  I have it divided up by categories (dairy, frozen, cleaners, etc.).

My biggest problem is finding a minute in my day to clean out the expired coupons or file new ones.  It's so frustrating when I reach into my coupon folder to find a great "Expired" coupon for something I want to buy. 

It seems like I'm always waiting in a doctor's office lately, so I've been taking advantage of that wait time by cleaning out my coupon folder.  It gives me something productive to do while waiting, and I leave a little more organized. 

I'm not where I need to be with coupon organization yet, but I'm getting there.  I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- The Library


An easy way to save some money is to take advantage of your local Public Library.  I take the children once a week and they pick out some DVD's and books.  My library has a large assortment of DVD's for kids, so I can save $1.00 for each one instead of going to Redbox.  I also skip the bookstore and can usually find the books I'm looking for at the library.  If my particular branch doesn't have the book I want, I can have the book sent to my library from another library in my county.  Not only does this save me money, it saves me from more clutter.  If I want to read the book again, I can go back to the library.

Many libraries also have FREE storytime for kids, FREE computer classes and other types of classes.

Go out today and get a great book!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Buying Kids' Clothes

Clothing children can be extremely expensive.  I have three children, so I have to be very thrifty when it comes to their clothing. 

I like to dress them in designer duds.  No, I do not head out to the children's section at Macy's and pick up the latest Calvin Klein outfits.  I head out to yard sales and consignment shops.  I have found barely worn Gap, Children's Place and other brand names at yard sales for less than $1.00.  Face it, kids grow so fast and usually don't have time to wear out their clothing.  In my opinion, it is absolutely ridiculous for someone to pay the retail price for kids' clothing.

We sometimes get hand-me-downs and we send lots of hand-me-downs to family members.
I also visit the local children's consignment shop on a regular basis or when I'm looking for something in particular.  Even stores like Walmart and Target can be expensive if you buy the clothes at regular retail price.  Hit the clearance racks everytime you're there.  You never know what you might find.  The last time I was in Walmart, I found an assortment of Garanimal clothing on a clearance rack for $1.00! 

I also love to shop online for the kids' school clothes.  I have hit some great sales at Kohl's and The Children's Place.  I always shop through Ebates or ShopAtHome, so I get the best coupon codes and cash back too.

If you have never shopped at a children's consignment shop, you will be pleasantly surprised by the beautiful, like-new merchandise.  Go today and stop throwing your money out the window by buying at retail price.  My children have some beautiful clothes and I didn't break the bank. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Buying Meat

Meat is generally expensive, and it's not very often you can get a good deal when buying meat.  I only buy meat when it's on sale.  Some grocery stores also discount meat with a Sell By Date that is quickly approaching.  I've seen packages of steak at Sweetbay Supermarket with the Sell By Date for the next day and $5.00 off coupons on top of the package.  I spoke with a store employee and she said they discount meat daily.  They had many packages with coupons in various amounts.  If you can't use the meat immediately, you can freeze it.  You can save a significant of money this way. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Homemade Pantry Staples

Thanks to Kelly who thought this would make a great Tuesday Tip! 

We all keep some pantry staples (standard kitchen supplies) on hand in case we ever need them.  How many of you have gone into the pantry for something that is always there only to find you have run out?  It happens to most of us too often.  What do you do if you can't run to the store?  Did you know that some pantry staples can be made from other pantry staples?  I'm thinking of taco seasoning in particular.  Both Kelly and I have run out of taco seasoning before and had to create it from scratch.  You might even save money by making it homemade (unless you have a great taco seasoning coupon)!

Taco Seasoning Recipe (from All Recipes.com)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1.In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

See how simple this recipe is?  There are lots of other pantry staples that can be made from scratch with not much difficulty.  So the next time you run out of something, think twice before you waste your time and your money running to the store. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- The Basics

I've met a lot of people lately who are just starting out with couponing.  What I want to do this week is cover some basics on what you need to know in order to save money. 

Here are the definitions of a couple of types of coupons you will come across:

Manufacturer's Coupon- A coupon distributed by the manufacturer of a particular product.  The store where you used the coupon mails the coupon back to the manufacturer to get their money back.

Store Coupon- A coupon distributed by a particular store.  The store does not get their money back for these coupons.  It will state Store Coupon, Retailer Coupon, or the name of the store on the coupon.  It will not say Manufacturer's Coupon.  You may use Store Coupons in conjunction with Manufacturer's coupons.  Some stores accept competitor coupons.  For example, Target has a lot of store coupons out there.  Some Publix stores will accept the Target store coupons.  If you're not sure, ask a manager.

NOTE- Don't get confused by the Manufacturer's Coupons that say "Redeem Only at ______".  If it says Manufacturer's Coupon, you should be able to use that in any store that accepts coupons. 

You may NEVER use two manufacturer's coupons on one product.

When an item is BOGO (Buy One Get One Free), you are allowed to use 2 manufacturer's coupons because you are getting 2 items.  Let's say that Cheerios is BOGO this week, and you have two $1.00 off manufacturer's coupons.  This is how it would work:

$4.00 Cheerios
$0.00 Cheerios (BOGO)
-1.00 manufacturer's coupon
-1.00 manufacturer's coupon
FINAL PRICE for two boxes would be $2.00

Now let's pretend that your grocery store had a Store Coupon in their weekly sales circular for $1.00 off one box of Cheerios.  You would want two of these coupons if you were buying Cheerios this week.  This is how it would work:

$4.00 Cheerios
$0.00 Cheerios (BOGO)
-1.00 manufacturer's coupon
-1.00 manufacturer's coupon
-1.00 store coupon
-1.00 store coupon
FINAL PRICE for two boxes would be FREE

I hope this quick tip on some of the basics has helped those of you who are just starting out on this incredible journey into the world of couponing and saving money.  Please email me if you have any questions.  I would also love to hear from you if any of my tips has helped you save more money.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Printer Ink Part II

A couple of months ago I wrote a saving money tip for printer ink.  I have learned how to save more money on my printer ink since then.  I was buying printer ink at Sam's Club for my HP Printer.  I was paying $66.75 for a package of two black HP 94 and one color HP 97 ink cartridges.  I have since canceled my Sam's Club membership and went looking for other options.  I clicked 123Inkjets through Ebates and found remanufactuered HP 97 Color cartridges for $12.00 ea. when you buy three and remanufactured HP 94 black cartridges for $9.00 ea. when you buy three.  I also received 10% off with coupon code "FLOWER23" that I found on Ebates.  My order came to $56.70.  There was no tax and no shipping for orders over $55.00.  Since I clicked through Ebates, I also got 20% cash back!!!  $11.34 was added to my Ebates account a few days after my purchase.  The final total for three black and three color printer inks was $45.36!  That sure beats the $66.75 I used to pay for only three printer inks.  I have also not noticed a difference in quality between the new and remanufactured printer inks.

It pays to shop around.  It also pays to never ever click a store directly online without first checking to see if a site like Ebates or ShopAtHome offers cash back on that store.  It really is easy money and I enjoy getting those checks in the mail.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip

Today's tip is to read this wonderful article "66 Ways to Save Money".  It is broken up into the following categories:  Transportation, Insurance, Banking/Credit, Housing, Utilities, and Other.  You can learn how to save on things like insurance, funerals, car repairs, appliances, checking accounts, etc.

You will definitely learn some saving money tips after reading this.  Take some time to read it.  You may even run into some tips I've mentioned on previous Tuesdays!

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Comparing Prices


My Tuesday Tip for today is how to compare prices at the grocery store.  All items have labels with the price marked.  Do you just look at the price of the item or do you look at the other information on it like the cost per unit?  I have included a picture of a typical price label at Publix.  The price of these cookies is clearly marked at $3.99.  These packages are 12 oz. and the price per oz. is marked on the label as $.3325 per ounce.  You might find some similar cookies next to it for $4.99.  Some might automatically pick up the $3.99 cookies and think they are getting the best buy.  Wrong!  You need to check the price per ounce of the cookies not the total price.  Let's say that the $4.99 cookies come in a 16 oz. package.  The price per oz. is $.3119 per ounce.  The best deal in this case would be the $4.99 cookies as long as the extra cookies don't go to waste. 

I used to buy the majority of my groceries at Sam's Club.  To make sure I was getting the best price, I created a spreadsheet that calculated the unit price of each item.  (See the example to the right.)
If frozen broccoli was on sale at Publix for the week, I would check my spreadsheet to see if it was a better deal than at Sam's Club.  Let's say that Publix was selling 16 oz. (1 lb.) broccoli for $1.25.  Let's also say that I have a $.50/2 coupon for this broccoli.  My unit cost before the coupon would be $1.25/lb.  My unit cost after the coupon would be $1.00/lb.  This deal with the coupon beats the warehouse club cost and is the better deal. 

After doing this research and also taking into account the yearly membership fee, I have just canceled my membership with Sam's Club.  I am getting better deals at grocery stores using sales and coupons.  I am also saving a lot of money at Aldi.

Please email me if you have questions or would like to know how to put a similar spreadsheet together. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Printer Ink

If you are like me and print a lot of internet coupons, you may be using a lot of ink.  Most printer ink is very expensive.  I tried the ink refill kits to save money and made a big mess.  The only thing I can do right now without getting a laser printer (which I hear is the best option for printing coupons) is to conserve ink the best I can.

Always set your printer on black (or grayscale) printing only.  You also need to set the quality level to the lowest which is called "Fast Draft" on my printer.  That will use up the least amount of ink.  If you need to print out something fancy, you can always change it.  I set my printer to grayscale only, but for some reason the coupons kept printing out in color.  I have two cartridges (color and black).  I took the color cartridge out and left the black in.  My printer constantly blinks and says "Insert Color", but I'm now printing out the coupons in the less expensive black ink only. 

If you have a good tip for saving money on printer ink, please let me know.  Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Education

So you see the topic "Education" and you're probably wondering where I'm going with this, right?  I have saved money by learning how to do things I used to pay people to do for me. 

We bought our oldest son's cakes for his first and second birthdays.  That cost was easily over $50.00.  When our second son turned one and money was tighter, I decided to make him a birthday cake.  It tasted very good but was aesthetically unappealing.  I decided to take cake decorating classes at Michael's.  There are some upfront costs involved with the class fees and supplies, but you will save lots of money in the long run.  My cakes look so great now, I even make some for friends.  I have three children now and lots of birthdays coming up.  I'm happy I learned how to make the cakes myself and save money.

Another class I took was a sewing class at JoAnn's Fabrics.  I had a sewing machine and was deathly afraid of going near it.  The class gave me the confidence to take on many sewing projects.  I sewed most of the curtains in my home.  I've also made some pajama pants, a bedskirt, tablecloths, pillow covers and other items.  Can you imagine how much money I would have paid to buy all of these items?  There are lots of deals on fabric out there.  Take advantage of the JoAnn's coupons in the Sunday paper and the $1 and $2 fabric bins at Walmart.

Go out today and get educated (and get a great deal of course!).

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Dining Out


Sorry my Tuesday tip turned into a Wednesday tip this week.  It has been a hectic week with Valentine's Day coming up and all the school activities.  As I was thinking about Valentine's Day, I wondered how many people will be eating at home this year instead of going out to eat because of the poor economy.

My tip for today is you don't have to spend a fortune dining out.  Many of us have given up going out to restaurants to save some money.  We all know that you can buy a couple of weeks worth of groceries for the average cost of a nice dinner at a restaurant.  If you really want to treat yourself by dining out, you can do it without feeling that guilty.

Many restaurants nowadays have coupons.  I find a lot in the Sunday paper and in local coupon books.  You can also get coupons by signing up on a restaurant website.  This website that I found has a listing of a lot of popular restaurants and some discounts.  There are also many restaurants that have specials like two can dine for $20, etc.

I buy restaurant.com gift certificates when there is a discount on them.  Go to restaurant.com through the Ebates website.  $25 gift certificates are currently $2 using the code HEART plus you'll receive a FREE $15 FTD reward.  You will also get 15% cash back on your purchase by clicking through Ebates.  We don't go out to eat very often, but sometimes get FREE babysitting so we go out.  We save a lot of money by buying these restaurant.com gift certificates.  It is like having a $23 off coupon when you buy the gift certificates for only $2!

If you want to treat the kids, certain McDonald's restaurants are offering $1.99 Happy Meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I also found McDonald's coupons in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago so the whole family could go out to eat and not spend a fortune.

The restaurants are really hurting in this economy so the deals are out there.  Keep your eyes open for TV commercials, newspaper ads and flyers. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Moneymakers

My tip for today is to buy any item if you can earn a profit from it.  An example would be from my last week's trip to Publix.  I bought 10 boxes of Rolaids.  I did not need 10 boxes of Rolaids, but I bought them because I got them for FREE plus made a profit.  My store had them on sale for 2/$3.00.  There was a $4.00/2 manufacturer coupon in the 1/3 RedPlum.  I made a profit of $.50 from each box.  I plan on donating all of these Rolaids. 

Everyone is always shocked by how I can get my grocery bill so low.  This is a great way to do it.  These deals are not available every week, but I always keep my eyes open for them.  There was a coupon in the 1/24 RedPlum for $4.00 off any Knox Product.  Some of the Knox products are less than $2.00 so this will be a great moneymaker for me this week.

Lower your grocery bill each week by picking up things you normally wouldn't buy if you can earn a profit.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Coupons

I run into a lot of people who say they don't cut coupons because the coupons they find are for items they never use.  I have a few things to say about that today:

1.) If you are very loyal to a particular product, see if they have a coupon on their website.  If they don't, email them to say how much you love their product and ask if they'd send you a coupon.

2.) I always tell my children to try new things because they'll never know if they like it unless they try it.  I'm telling you the same thing.  When you get the coupons in the Sunday paper, keep the whole insert.  Don't just cut out the coupons for things you always use.  If I offered you some FREE groceries, would you tell me you are not interested?  By only sticking with the same products every week, you are in reality turning away FREE or very cheap groceries.  If you pair items on sale with coupons, you will get them cheap or even FREE.  I do this all the time.  My family has also liked most of the new things I bought.  How do you know you're family won't like something unless you try it?  You might be surprised.

3.) I know some of you don't want to take the time to cut and use the coupons.  I'll be honest with you, it takes time to learn how to use coupons and save the most money.  One of the best websites out there to help you is Hot Coupon World.  There are forums set up for most grocery stores where a moderator lists the sale items along with coupon matchups.  If your store is not listed or isn't up to date, go to BeCentsAble and find a blog that lists your sales and coupons matchups.  Once you get the hang of finding the sale items and matching them with the coupons, it won't take you a long time.

If you really want to save money, follow these steps.  I can help you cut your grocery bill way down.  Email me with any questions/comments you might have. 

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Airline Travel

My tip for today is to do some research before booking your next airline flight.  You can no longer just go online and check to see who has the best airline fare for your travel dates.  You also need to compare the fees the airlines charge for baggage, in flight service, blankets, headsets, etc.  You can't even get a free soda on a lot of airlines!  I have looked at numerous travel sites and found TripAdvisor to be the best for getting a true indication of what your final price will be.  TripAdvisor compares the ticket prices on most airlines.  It also has a Fees Estimator option that lets you see how much extra money it will be for baggage, in flight service, etc.   It totals it all for you so you know how much money it will really cost for your trip.

I really hate to be "nickel-and-dimed" by the airlines.  There is one airline I know of that refuses to do this to us.  Southwest Airlines is my top choice for air travel.  Each person can check two bags at no extra charge.  You can get a drink and snack at no extra charge.  They also keep their prices low.

No matter what airline you choose, make sure you know your total cost up front so you don't have any surprises on your travel day.  Traveling these days is enough of a hassle without surprises.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Competitor Coupons

My tip today is to use competitor coupons whenever possible.  A lot of stores will accept a competitor coupon with no problem.  An example of this is when I pulled into an oil change shop the other day because they had a "Ladies Day $7.00 off" sign and there was no line.  I asked how much an oil change was.  He said $29.95 for Ladies Day.  I told him it was too much and that I had a Jiffy Lube coupon for $24.95.  He said they would gladly accept the Jiffy Lube $24.95 coupon.  I saved $5.00 with no effort.

My grocery store also accepts competitor coupons and I always try to use one.  You can sometimes find them in the newspapers or weekly circulars. 

If you are unsure whether or not your store will accept a competitor coupon, ask before you shop.  Make sure you remember the name of the person you spoke to.  When you get to the register, if the cashier questions it, tell them you already got verbal approval from so and so.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Keep Necessities on Hand

My tip for today is to always have the necessities on hand and try to never run out of anything.  What I mean by this is to always buy things when they are on sale and/or you have a coupon even if you don't need the item at the time.  For instance, I have plenty of contact lens saline solution in my stockpile.  I always buy it when I can get it on sale.  If I waited until I needed more, I probably wouldn't be able to get in on sale and would have to pay the retail price.  (I cringed just writing that!  :)  Do this for toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, food items, etc.  All of these items go on sale regularly, but may not be on sale when you need them.  A lot of people tell me they just don't have the room to stockpile these items.  My answer to that is to find the room.  The linen closet, clothes closets, under the bathroom sink, under the bed, etc. are all good places to stockpile things.  The key is to save the most money as possible and you will do this by buying at the right time and keeping the items on hand.  You want to avoid the "I ran out of something" shopping trip as much as possible.  Just watch for expiration dates.  You don't want to get something out of your stockpile and find out it has already expired.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Car Coupon File

Ten more days until Christmas!  Time is flying by with all of the parties, school activities, shopping, etc.  Once the holidays are over, I will blog more often about the many deals out there. 

My tip for today is to keep a coupon file in the car.  I have an accordion folder (a little bigger than 8 1/2" X 11") which I keep under the center console.  I put restaurant coupons, oil change coupons, portrait coupons, Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons, Michaels & JoAnn's Fabric coupons, car wash coupons and anything else that I may need when I'm out. 

I have plenty of grocery coupons to keep track of in the house, so this is a good place to keep these other coupons.  If we are out and want to get something to eat, I just go through the file to see what restaurant coupons we have.  If the car is due for an oil change, I grab a coupon out of the file.  I clean out the expired coupons about once a month when I'm sitting in the car line at school.  You never know when you might need a coupon, so this folder can be very handy.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Vinegar

My tip for today is to replace some of your household cleaners with white vinegar.  I always keep a spray bottle filled with 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water and a couple drops of lemon essential oil to make it smell nice.  I use this spray to clean the counters, kitchen table, and tile and laminate floors.  It works just as well as commercial cleaners without the chemicals, and it costs less.  I never worry about spraying it around the kids.  I buy 2 gallons at Sams Club for around $3.00.  I also use vinegar at times as a fabric softener and for cleaning the washing machine, dishwasher and coffee pot.   There are LOTS of uses for vinegar.  Here is a great web page filled with 1,001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Frequent Flier Miles

I actually have a couple of tips for today.  My first tip is to ALWAYS sign up for the Frequent Flier Program of any airline you fly.  My second tip for today is to keep track of your Frequent Flier accounts.  The reason I say this is because some airlines take away the frequent flier miles if the account is inactive for a certain number of months.  You don't need to take a trip in order to keep it active either.  If we have an account that has been inactive for awhile, I go shopping!  Yes, instead of shopping through Ebates or ShopAtHome which I've been stressing so much lately because of the EASY MONEY, you will need to shop through the airline website.  Here are links to some airline shopping sites:

American Airlines (AAdvantage eShopping Mall)
Continental Airlines (ShopOnePass)
Delta Airlines (SkyMiles Shopping)
USAirways (Dividend Miles Shopping Mall)

You never want to lose miles you've earned.  You might even be close to a FREE ticket and not even know it.  You might just need to shop a little to earn a few more miles.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Coupon Organization

My tip for today is to find a way of organizing coupons that is right for you.  We all have different ways of organizing our coupons.  I used to sit there on Monday morning and clip for hours, but I don't clip the coupons anymore until I need them.  I have an old Sams Club Baby Wipes box that is 8" X 13 1/2".  I put the date on top of all the coupon inserts and place them in the box each week.  When I do a shopping list I work from Hot Coupon World.  It tells me where I can find the coupon.  I take the insert out of the box and cut the coupon then.  If I happen to see a good deal but don't have the coupon, I buy it anyway.  I then take my receipt back to the store with my coupon and the store gives me cash.  Check with your store first to see if they allow this.  I also have a big coupon filing box that looks like a tackle box.  I keep my home mailer coupons, internet coupons, peelies, tearpads, etc. in there sorted by category.  I take that on every shopping trip.  There is a great article on coupon organization here.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Donate to Charity

Tis the season to be generous with the precious gift of saving money that the Lord has blessed you with.  My tip for today is to donate some items from your stockpile if you haven't already done so.  I send packages regularly to my brother-in-law in Iraq, donate items at my church for the homeless and drop off items to many non-profit organizations.  As you already know, saving money is not always easy and can become very frustrating at times.  Examples of this are shopping during the best sales, spending hours reading circulars and making lists, cutting out coupons, searching for the highest value coupons and buying the items at the right time, etc.  You need to remember that not everyone can do what we do.  Some people don't even want to be bothered to learn what we do.  I really feel that we couponers are gifted and should help out those in need.  I've seen how happy some people get when you care enough to donate items.  Your items may not mean as much to you as they do to some people who can't afford them.

Go out today and do a good deed.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Contacting Companies

My tip for today is to notify a company if you love their product or have a problem with their product.  Companies love to get FREE feedback on their items.  I might even get a coupon in the mail after contacting a company. 

I wrote today in my Publix deals post that I emailed Lenders Bagels to tell them I love their bagels.  I also told them I wished they had more coupons for their products.  They mailed me a coupon for FREE bagels. 

I called GE a couple of weeks ago to complain about the packaging of their compact fluorescent bulbs.  I opened up the package and the lightbulb popped out of the box and smashed on the floor.  It wasn't secure in the box.  They told me they would open an investigation and I got a coupon in the mail yesterday for a FREE lightbulb.

I value every penny we have.  If something I buy isn't what I expected, I feel it's important to let that company know.  It doesn't take long at all to email.  Every website you go on seems to have a "Contact Us" tab.  They want the feedback, so let them know if you love or don't love their products.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip

My Tuesday Tip this week is to not settle for a price if you think it's too much.  You need to haggle for a better price if you want to save money.  You may not get what you are asking for, but then maybe you will.  I saved my family $43.40 today by not paying the newspaper subscription bill without making a phone call.  My bill was originally $119.63 for daily newspaper delivery.  (My husband can't live without the sports page every morning.)  I saw that the same subscription was going for $78.00 on http://www.subscription.com/.  I called the 1-800 number on the bill and asked if they could give me a better rate.  He came back with a price of $96.  I told him about the $78.00 rate online and he offered it to me for $76.23.  It only took a four minute phone call to accomplish this.
Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Research for the Best Price

My tip for the day is to make sure you are getting the best price available when shopping online.  Our dishwasher started acting up last week.  My husband and I figured out which part needed to be replaced by researching online, posting on appliance message boards and taking the dishwasher apart ourselves.  It really was not an excruciating as it sounds and it saved us an automatic $75 (the price of the repair person just to come to our house).  I had the part number and went online to order it.  I found a place and thought $80 was a reasonable price to pay.  Before I press that BUY button, I always do a little research to make sure I'm getting the best price.  I googled that part number and ended up finding out that the price fluctuation for this part ranges from $52 to $131.  That is a huge difference!  I went with the company who was charging $52 and they also had great online chat help.  It pays to do your research. 
Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Collecting Coupons

My tip for today is to collect as many coupons as you can. I get 4 Sunday papers delivered to my house. I have negotiated with two different newspapers to get the best price. I am saving more money this way than buying papers at the box or store on Sunday. I also keep my eye open when walking through any store to collect blinkies (the coupons in the little red boxes attached to the shelf), tearpads (a pad of coupons attached to the shelf), peelies (coupons stuck on boxes- It is rude to peel these off when not buying the item), coupon books, Try Me Free forms and rebate forms. You never know when you need a coupon and it is better to have them than not. You can always trade coupons on the internet or send expired coupons to an overseas family (I will explain that in a future post).

Here is an example of how collecting coupons and holding them until a sale can pay off. A couple of months ago I found a tearpad with $.55 off one can of Blatter Blaster pancake & waffle batter. I remember that these go on BOGO every once in awhile so I took two. They happened to be BOGO this week at Publix. I will get these for $1.95 each instead of their regular price of $4.99.

You will definitely save money with coupons. The key to saving the most money is to use the coupons at the right time and buy as many items as you can. Take my tip from a couple of weeks ago and stockpile these items if you can. If the item has an expiration date, make sure you don't buy more of the item than you will use before the date expires. If you can get a great deal, but can't use all of the items, donate some items. I always give items to friends, charities and churches. I also send boxes to the military overseas. I just can't pass up a good deal when I see one. :)

Go out today and get a great deal!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Creating a Grocery List

Yes, it's Wednesday. I'm a day late with my Tuesday Tip because I was mystery shopping on Monday and grocery shopping yesterday in between everything else like changing diapers, driving the kids around, cooking, cleaning, etc. etc. You get the idea.

I am going to explain to you how I prepare for a weekly grocery shopping trip to Publix. I generally shop at both Publix and Aldi each week. I sometimes get deals at Sweetbay but don't make that a regular weekly stop.

Hot Coupon World always posts a sneak preview of the Publix sale each week. I either check that out or wait for the Publix circular to arrive on Wednesday with the newspaper. I keep a pre-printed list on my refrigerator with the most popular items I keep in the house and we check off anything that we need. I take that list and go back to Hot Coupon World to add more items. I see which items are the best deals based on the coupons I have or ones I can print off the internet. I then add those items to my list with the quantity I need to buy written next to the item. I also add any additional items I need for meals. As I add items to my list, I pull the coupons and put them in a pile. Since I shop at the same Publix every week, I know the layout of the store and have a particular route I follow. I organize the coupons based on that route and put them in an legal size envelope.

After I'm done, I color code the list. I color the produce and anything around the produce section "green". When I'm shopping and leave the produce section, I check my list to make sure I haven't missed anything in "green". I mark the shelf items "yellow" and the dairy and frozen foods "blue". It helps me having to backtrack through the store if I missed an item. I usually shop with at least two if not three children in the shopping cart, so I try to be as efficient as possible. I usually pack them a baggie with snacks and activities to keep them busy when I shop. They also enjoy the complimentary Publix cookies and help Mommy out with finding "blinkies", tearpad coupons and coupon books. They are very good at that!

It does take me a couple of hours to get my prep work done, but as you can see by how much money I save, it is worth it!

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Stockpiling

I apologize for not posting a tip last Tuesday. All I had on my mind last week was Kmart and the double coupons.

I am going to give you the word of the day and how you can use this word to save money.

Stockpile- to accumulate (material, goods, or the like) for future use; put or store in a stockpile.

Stockpiling will save you a lot of money. You need to buy things when they are on sale and/or you have coupons and buy lots of it! My family eats a lot of cereal and drinks a lot of juice (my husband more so than the kids!). Cereal and juice are not on sale every week, so I buy a lot of it when I can get a good deal. Juice was on sale this week at Publix so I bought 14 bottles of juice today. This should take me through to the next sale. The juice cost me $1.49 per bottle rather than $3.49 so I saved $28.00.

Storage can become an issue when you stockpile. I have become very creative in stacking items in my pantry. I have also started using the bedroom closet to store dry items like cereal, pop tarts and macaroni & cheese boxes. Frozen items are a little more difficult. If I know a good frozen food deal is coming up, I'll start using some more frozen food to make some room. I will always find a place to store things because I will not pass up a deal. The hubby can't say too much because he knows how much money I'm saving the family by shopping this way.

Go out today and get a great deal!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Saving Money Mommy's Tuesday Tip- Review Receipts


My tip for today is.....
Review all of your receipts.
It is impossible to see every price up on the register when checking out if you have a lot of items, so I double check the receipt when I get home. I have been charged a different price than the advertised price on numerous occasions. I remember going back to Publix one day because I was charged the wrong price on two separate items. I had to walk with the manager through the store to check the prices. I was right on both accounts and ended up receiving the items for free. This happens more than you can imagine at all kinds of stores. Just remember to always check your receipts.
Go out today and get a great deal!