Save Money For Summer Fun

Now is the time to consider what you would like to do with your family this summer.  Some of us plan for our children to attend camps or summer classes while others choose to plan a family vacation.  Whatever your desire for fun and relaxation this summer it is sure to cost money.  If you're like me, you live on a budget and must plan how to include these extra expenses into the big picture.  I have found that my grocery budget is the most flexible category in my budget.  Since the grocery budget is not a fixed price or a bill to be paid, I can choose to shop and save, thus giving me a nest egg for the extras...i.e. summer fun!  

When grocery shopping, my greatest savings come from using coupons.  I have made coupon clipping a regular part of my weekly tasks so it will not feel like one more thing on my To Do List. I have also decided that shopping at more that one store is a wise choice, as you know some stores have greater everyday prices on certain items so if these stores are having a sale..."cha-ching".

To learn more about how to shop and save come, join me at my Coupon Gathering and Coupon 101 Class, Monday, April 15, 2013 at 6:30 p.m., and learn how to shop and SAVE BIG on groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies etc., how to organize your coupons and where to find coupons on the internet. You will also learn how to set up our computers for convenient daily updates from coupon bloggers, facebook pages etc. and much more! Cost just $10. Not interested in taking the class , come for the Coupon Gathering...here is a great opportunity to join like-minded women to cut, print and organize coupons as well as make your grocery list while enjoying a light snack and a beverage. I will share current shopping deals and scenarios. For your convenience I offer wifi and a printer. Cost just $5. Contact me today to reserve your spot.

Coupons + Sales Ads = Great Savings!

I have found that I get the greatest savings when I shop using the sales ads each week and match my coupons to those particular items.  My goal is to pay no more that $1 per item on my grocery list, except of course for meat and produce.  Using this method I have spent less and often times even gotten items FREE!

First of all, to make this work you must be willing to shop at more than one store...each week.  I know, I know  you think this is going to take more time, well, hopefully not.  In our area the major grocery stores are usually located in a 1-2 mile radius of each other making this very doable.  Next,  you will need to be organized and committed to sit down each week to print and cut coupons and browse and match your sales ads with the coupons you have gathered.  For me this takes about 3 hours and I do it on Sunday evenings usually with a coffee drink and one of my favorite snacks, while my children watch a movie with Daddy ;). And lastly, and most importantly you will need to plan and complete your shopping trip.

It's a good idea to plan your trip with your week's schedule in consideration.  For instance, my grocery stores are literally within 1 1/2 miles of my home so, I shop at every store on my list on one day, every week because this works best with our homeschool schedule.  If one trip is not going to work for you, I encourage you to plan your trips according to the events of the week.  Plan to shop at each store at your convenience, on purpose, when you know you will be in the vicinity of the store.  As long as you have your shopping list and your coupons in hand and you veer not from your plan it should only take you minutes to get the specific items that are on your list. Try it this week and let me know how it works for you!

If you need help getting started, plan to join me at my Coupon 101 Class, February 4, 6:30 p.m.  Make a comment on this blog and receive a discount...You and a friend can participate for just $5, for details contact me, 614-431-2307.

Using Coupons...Saving a Salary!

Clearance and coupons, what a great combination!  When out on my shopping trips the past few weeks I have been purposely taking time to browse the store aisles for clearance items that I can match with the coupons that I have in my coupon box for a greater savings.  Now, more that ever it is very important for me to shop and save as I am trying to restock my shelves. Wow! It really paid off this week.  I went to Kroger and purchased $27.27 worth of products for just $10.61, that's a 63% savings!!!!  Everything I purchased will be used by us or shared with someone else.

Cutting coupons and shopping on purpose, with a plan, does take time and effort, but it is worth it.  As a steward unto God, helpmeet to my husband and mother to our children, I feel is my responsibility, my reasonable service unto them.  God said in His Word that He shall supply all of our needs, well for us that is through good stewardship, not employment as He has called me to be home with our children, full time and not work outside the home. Walter trust me to make wise choices with our money it gives him peace to know his hard work is not taken for granted nor his income misused. As I share with our children they are learning how to succeed with what God gives them for that is His provisions.

Using coupons and coupon codes, shopping for clearance and sale items as well as thrift shopping is shopping on purpose, using wisdom to save lots of money.  It all adds up, shopping with a plan has saved us a good portion of the money that income would have provided. Here I saved 63%, I think of it as me saving a salary instead of earning a salary ;).

If you are interested in learning more about how to save using coupons, plan to attend my Coupon 101 Class, Monday, February 4, 6:30 p.m., cost just $10, contact me for more information, 614-431-2307.

A Well Stocked Pantry Offers Peace

Growing up we did not have an abundance of anything.  We obtained the necessities to make it for two weeks at a time; we lived from paycheck to paycheck for sure. I did not like running out of things.  Not having enough to carry us through made me feel anxious.

This encouraged me to be a wise shopper that I might obtain the things needed for the days to come.  I started as a teenager, my focus was to purchase my "never outs", these are the items I never wanted to run out of i.e. lotion, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, dental floss etc. I liked the idea of having what I needed, it gave me a peace about my circumstances, even if I didn't have the latest and greatest of material things, I had the necessities when the need arose.

Now, as a wife and mother of multiple children I find it even more important to have my shelves stocked.  There many more things on my "never outs" list i.e. bread, milk, flour, sugar, pasta, laundry detergent, fabric softener, trash bags etc.  To obtain these items and stay on our budget,  I purchase them when they are on sale and with a coupon, if possible, not when we run out. Keeping a close eye on my stock as well as keeping my shelves organized has been key to not running out of anything.

Currently, I am trying to recover from the losses of our home fire in November; restocking my pantry and my storage shelves are a priority.  To do so I have been receiving from others their overflow and or items they are not planning to use.  I have also been taking advantage of the sales offered each week, not only at the grocery stores, but also at the drug stores.

CVS has had a great promotion for last few weeks.  They have been offering a $10 CVS cash card when you purchase $30 in certain items.  On my recent purchase I scored big... I purchased $96 in products for just $44 a savings of $52 (56%)!!!!  My list of items purchased included food, skin care products, dish liquid, toothpastes, and deodorant.  I made three purchases in this one trip and I used my CVS cash card and coupons to increase my savings.

How do you keep your pantry and stock shelves full?  If you have any organization ideas, coupon sites or great deals to take advantage of this week, please share them with me.

Like Money in the Bank

On Monday when checking out a few savings blog sites, I saw that CVS was having a 75% clearance on Christmas items, so I decided to check out the sales. Though the After Christmas Sale can be great, I find that I save the most money a week or more after the After Christmas Sale, so I was excited. I decided to stop at a few stores along the way. At Kroger Marketplace, I scored big! They too were having up to 75% off of Christmas items including toys. I have been in need of a table for my two-year-old to do his schoolwork on and not only did I find one, but I am now the coolest mom in the world it was a Spiderman table and I saved $52.50! Here I also grabbed a couple of Hot Wheels sets for just $3 and a Hot Wheel remote car for just $5!

I also did great at Bath and Body Works. I purchased $72.38 worth of merchandise for just $20.42 of which I paid with a gift card. All of the items that I purchased were 75% off and I used a $10 off a $30 purchase coupon that I found on my phone while in the store. As you can see there are many great deals still out there, though I was told this sale ends Sunday.

At CVS I saved a big! I purchased a set of wooden shelves, a fountain, a DVD home theater, a Bluetooth digital watch, a 15 piece make upset, and an eye pallet all for just $45, a savings of $128.71! The great thing here was their sale included all Christmas items including electronics Christmas gift items. The purchases you make now can be for items to be given as gifts for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, those unexpected occasions throughout the year or for Christmas next year.  It’s like money in the bank!

Sprucing Up Our Home and Our Hearts

Being at home all day, everyday can be drab, especially for the children, so with each season I always put out seasonal decorations and inspirational sayings.  The cut framed art pictured here was made with a Christmas card we received and a wood frame from Dollar Tree; isn't it darling!

Will you help me spruce up our home and our hearts? If you have snowmen, an evergreen wreath, evergreen garland and/or pine cones leftover from your Christmas decorations and old frames, matting, and card stock etc., please let me know :). I am also looking for inspirational quotes and scripture verses, please feel free to share them in the comment section.  Oh, and if you have any greeting cards with winter scenes we could use those too!

Wise Buying 2013 Begins Now

Okay, if you said to yourself that this year I will clip coupons to save, now is the time to begin! In this week's Sunday paper there will be SIX inserts. You can expect 3 SmartSource (although two of them might be combined in some areas), 2 Red Plum, and 1 Target. This is a great week to buy multiple papers. So, let the savings begin!

Here are a few tips for getting started on great savings using coupons:

•           When clipping coupons, clip coupons that you will use if the item was given to you FREE; because having a coupon can make an item that you would not normally purchase, but are willing to consume a free item to try or give away.

•           Make a grocery list before shopping using the sales ads from all your local grocery stores, drug stores, and one-stop shops such as Walmart and Meijer and even Target and match the coupon with the sales items for the greatest savings.

•           Be willing to make your shopping trip a part of your regular routine and no longer a once a week for a once a month venture. For instance, when going out to take a child to sports practice, you can stop by your local Walmart to take advantage of the great coupon savings. Shopping for one or two items on purpose does not take a lot of time and can save lots of money.

For more great savings tips plan to attend my Coupon 101’s class, Monday, January 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. Cost just $10.  For more information, please contact me at 614-431-2307.

Vacation On A Budget

As I shared in my last post I am diligently planning our vacation. I look forward to learning and relaxing together. It is always important for us to stay on a budget even when we take a vacation. When we travel the greatest expense we have is hotel cost. I will use Choice Privilege Points I have accumulated for one of our overnight stays and to earn two additional night stays from this vacation we will stay at a different Choice hotel location, closer to the beach for a couple of days.

The cost of gasoline is another big expense. I have been making wise purchases at Giant Eagle and Kroger to earn fuel points. I have also been taking advantage of the FREE $10 gas cards at CVS. My goal is to have 6 FREE gas cards. We will fill up at Giant Eagle when we leave and we will use the gas cards on the road. These efforts should really help save money.

Feeding our family takes careful planning so we don't break the bank. The kind of room and the amenities of the hotel play an important role in this. We always stay at a hotel that offers FREE breakfast. As long as the children eat waffles and fruit they are happy campers in the mornings. If we don't get a suite hotel, a refrigerator and microwave are a must because I will make most of our dinners. I will make fun things like hearty salsa with refried beans, chicken, corn and mexican cheese that we will eat with tortilla chips, over lettuce or wrap in soft tortillas, make your own sub night and chips, and coney dogs with coney sauce made from home. I will bring groceries from my pantry and my freezer. To transport the food we have a refrigerated cooler that we will pack and plug in while we travel.

I've been buying craft supplies, games and swimming toys. Walter will take care of the movies we will watch while on the road. The activities in Virginia will be very nominal expenses as we get a good discount as a home school family.

Is there anything I have left out? What tips can you give me to save money on this vacation?

Big Savings At Walgreens

Wow, I am so glad I learned how to shop and save at the drugstores! This week I saved big; I purchased $80.41 worth of merchandise at Walgreens for just $17.43. Talk about a savings, that's over 80% savings on items I am sure to use. I purchased Hanes Men's 3pk of Tank T-shirts, 1-Bird feeder, 3-Disney Cars tableware, 1-3pk Athletic Socks, Gillette Shave Gel, Gillette Facial Cleanser, Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor Kit, Coppertone Sunscreen, Crest Mouthwash, Goetz Carmel, 2-2pks Earbud Speakers, 2-Speed Stick Deodorant and 1 Travel Alarm Clock.

Much like their competitor stores, Walgreens have their own system of "money" called Register Rewards that is only good at Walgreens stores. Weekly, Walgreens offers deals that give you back RRs. RRs print out on a machine called a Catalina machine (this machine sits beside the register when you buy your merchandise). Cashiers will hand you your RRs with your receipt at the end of your purchase. Walgreens also takes manufacturer (MFR) coupons and store coupons (SC or Wags coupons). Remember, when using coupons in a transaction, the number of coupons you use must be the same number or less than the number of items you purchase. If you purchase 4 items, you can only use 4 coupons. Keep in mind, Walgreens considers RRs as coupons. When you don't have the number of items you need, find a “filler” item. A filler item is a very cheap item (a $.25 piece of candy) that gives you the same number of items to purchase as coupons needed to use for your purchase to take advantage of your savings. RRs cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, and some other similar purchases.

This week I started my shopping trip off with two $5 RRs that I didn't spend from last week. I chose items from the sales ad that would give me additional RRs. As always, I browsed through the items on the clearance shelves to use them as my "filler" items. I also used manufacturers coupons on my purchases. RRs are meant to be used on your "next" purchase so separated my purchases into four transactions and as you see my savings was "BIG". I teach this in my Coupons 102 class. If you're interested in learning more you can register for my class by contacting me.

Did you save big on your coupon purchases this week?

Grocery Savings Can Equal Gas Savings

There are a lot of offers for saving money on groceries, some of which offer you savings on gasoline as well. The most recent offer I have found is at CVS. Yes, even the drugstores are getting in on the competition. Now it is very common to find groceries in the drugstores. Unlike the grocery stores of the past that would generally offer to fill prescriptions and would be stocked with basic over the counter medicinal needs and few hygiene products, you can find a variety pantry and refrigerated items available as well. With these products available it makes it easy for CVS to get in the game and draw us in to purchase items and save big.

To shop at CVS and save on gas you will need to spend $30 on specially marked items and they will present you with a $10 gift card to a local gas station. The cards may vary by store. Each week the specially marked items change, so it is important to check the sales ad weekly. I received one of these gas cards a couple of weeks ago and used my gift card immediately. I find the purchases are not always beneficial to our family; last week most of the items for this offer were snacks, foods we don't normally eat so I did not attempt to qualify for the free gas card. This week though, the items are just what I will need, so I look forward to taking advantage of the deal at least once this week.

The key to any of these offers is not to fall into the trap of purchasing just to take advantage of an offer. Remember the goal is to save money, so be mindful to compare your grocery store ads and your drugstore ads for greater savings. Move items around for shopping list to shopping list considering the purchase price and the items needed to qualify for an offer to get the most bang for your buck.

Have you taken advantage of any of the gas savings offers?

You Can Make Money On Your Drugstore Purchases

I have been using coupons for years. It's one of the many things I learned from my grandma. It wasn't until a few years ago that I learned how to use the drugstore rewards programs and what a difference it has made in my savings in each week! CVS has a great rewards program. There is a true strategy to getting items you use everyday for incredibly low prices. I have even made money!

The CVS reward program is called the Extra Care Plan. Anyone can sign up for an Extra Care Card. Sign up in the store or online. With EVERY your purchase you’ll want to present your CVS card (or phone number attached to the card) to the cashier. Each quarter, the amount you spend in the store is totaled giving you back Extra Care Bucks. In addition, some of the store’s sales do not apply to your purchase unless you card is scanned. I was one of those people who had the card, utilize the sales, but did not know how to use the actual ECB rewards. While on vacation one year I met a lady at a park and she schooled me on how to take advantage of the theses rewards.

For those of you who may not be familiar, ECBs are found at the bottom of your receipt when you buy a weekly item that has an ECB reward. ECBs are CVS’s version of “monopoly money.” The “money” is only good at CVS locations. You do not want to throw this “money” out because it is spent at CVS like money. You can also “roll” your ECBs using ECBS to buy your next purchase of items that will grant you more ECBS. When you do this you are spending pennies out of your pocked but “recycling” CVS’s money. They carry an expiration date so it is very important to pay close attention to your ECBs. I can't tell you how many times I paid for just my taxes and received ECB's on that same transaction, making money on my purchase.

If you are interested in learning how to save or maybe even make money on your drugstore purchases plan to attend my Coupon 102 class this month.

What do shop for at CVS and how much do you usually save?