Outlet malls have coupons!!

So my family took a little trip down to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend and of course, we visited the outlet mall!!

Before we left, I made sure to print my coupons - that's right - OUTLET MALLS HAVE COUPONS!!

I don't know that I got any "Super Amazing" deals, but I did get deals. The outlets often have some good prices and add additional coupons/discounts to that and I did pretty well.

So if you are planning a trip to the lake check out http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/attractions.asp?id=57/

Click the VIP link and sign up. You will get occasional emails about sales (they don't come too often) but you also get the ability to print out coupons/discounts - one of which is a voucher to pick up MORE coupons/discounts for free at the information desk when you arrive!!! They normally charge $5 for this booklet.

I did notice that some of the stores I knew I would be making purchases at were not included such as Carter's and Children's place - so I just did some searching on my own (and I sign up on their websites for coupons) and got 20% coupons to use at each store.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Target deal for cold season

I came down with a major cold and it has turned it's ugly head into a full blown sinus infection. So I went out in search of medicine to help me feel better today and found a GREAT deal at Target.

Target has Vicks medicine on sale for $4.99. I had a $4 coupon for Vicks Sinex and $1.50 coupon off any vicks product.

I bought a daytime Sinex and a NyQuil, along with $1 stickers for my little tornado and $1 kleenex for my ever running nose :) and paid $6.90 after taxes.

I saved a total of $6.95!!

Early Christmas Shopping

I was shopping at WalMart today and happened upon this deal in the toy aisle.

They had Chucks Stunt Park Playset on sale for $29.00.
I've seen these regular price at $39.99.
I had a $10 off coupon from one of the Sunday paper inserts, bringing this toy down to $19.00. HALF PRICE!!
I know my little guy will be excited to see this under the tree Christmas morning. He LOVES Chuck!!

SO OVERDUE

I have not stopped getting deals - I just seem to have trouble keeping up on the blogging. So here is one I did today.

BIG LESSON on this one - coupons are good for more than what they state!!

Went to CVS this morning - scanned my card when I first walked in and got several coupons. Only 2 that I will use, but you never know what you may get. 1 I used today the other I will go back for.

Today I got:
2 boxes of Nabisco wheat thins 2/$4
1 brach candy corn (this was the coupon I got when I scanned my card) $0.99
2 Dawn dish soaps $0.97 each
1 Colgate total toothpaste. $2.99

I paid $4.19 after taxes!!! AND I got $2.99 ECB, which is basically a $2.99 coupon for my next visit.

So, the brach candy corn was FREE because they had it on sale for .99 cents and when I scanned my card it printed of a coupon for .99 cents off.

The Dawn dish soaps were FREE because I had 2 $1 coupons for dawn. They were for the soothing essentials or something like that, but they worked for the regular dish soap.

Here's that lesson I was talking about - what I've learned is that OFTEN a coupon is good for several different items as long as they are in the same category. I did the same thing with the Wheat thins.

The Nabisco Wheat Thins were 2/$4. I had 2 $1 off coupons for the new wheat thin stixs, but the coupon worked for the regular wheat thins!

I also had a $1 off coupon for the Colgate and I earned $2.99 ECB for purchasing it - so I actually MADE $1

So if you have a coupon you want to use, but the store doesn't have that specific product or it isn't included in the sale, try it anyway!! As long as it is in the same category - it will probably work and if it doesn't just tell them you don't want the item then.

Finally, the other coupon I got when I scanned my card was $6 off any 2 Garnier skincare moisturizer or treatment.
I searched the internet and found more coupons. One I know will work for $2 off and another possible $2 off. But if the second $2 doesn't work I found a $1 that will.
These can be combined with the CVS coupon and my $2.99 ECB which will give me between $11.99 or $12.99 off 2 Garnier skin care.
Should bring them pretty darn close to FREE!!!

Proof

Okay so here is some more proof that clipping coupons is TOTALLY worth the time and effort.

My shopping trips this week (these deals are good till Sunday!)

What I bought and what it cost me vs. what it SHOULD have cost me.

Walgreens:
$7.99 - Childrens Walitin (no sale here, but my son needed it) - used my $3 register rewards from last week)

$1.99 - Starbucks espresso shot - on sale for 4/$5 and had 2 buy 1 get 1 free coupons I printed off a link from http://www.stlmommy.com/ Wouldn't normally buy these but for about 25 cents a piece it's an indulgence I'm willing to "splurge" for :)

$5.49 - Cottonelle wipes refill - on sale 2/$5 with coupon in their ad and I had an additional coupon for 50 cents off. BTW - these are a MUST if you are potty training a child!

My total (before taxes) should have been $26.93
But I paid (before taxes) $10.51 saving myself $16.42!!

CVS:
$1.79 - 2 liter Mt. Dew (my husband is addicted to this) - on sale 4/$5 and I found 2 $1 off two coupon tags in the store PLUS a mail in rebate for $5 when you buy 4. So after the rebate I actually MADE $2!!

$7.99 - Bounty basic paper towels - on sale for $5.97 and I had a $2 off coupon

$7.99 - Purex 3 in 1 - on sale for $5.99, I had a $3 off coupon AND I got $2 extra bucks (CVS version of register rewards - a coupon to use on my next visit.)

$29.99 - Move Free Advanced joint pill - on sale buy 1 get 1 free and I had 2 $5 off coupons

&4.99 - Pepsi 12 pack - on sale 3 for 9.99 and got a bag of Doritos FREE

$.99 - Green bag tag - Scanned my CVS card at the machine when I walked in and got a coupon for 50 cents off this tag. Every fourth shopping trip that I use it I earn $1!!

$5.49 - Crest toothpaste - Had a $1 off coupon

My shopping trip should have cost me $117.55 before taxes
But I paid $49.41 - got $2 easy bucks AND $2 over after my rebate for a total savings of $72.14


The little tornado just awoke. I'm outta time. I'll try to post tomorrow the savings I got at Target today!!

Happy shopping!!

Break it Down

Okay so here is the breakdown of how I "robbed" Walgreens and how to put coupons to use!

1. Dial body wash - on sale for 3.99. I had a $1 off coupon and at the register I received a $3 register rewards (which is something Walgreens does - it is basically like a $3 coupon you can use on your next shopping trip). So I pretty much got this for free - after I use of the $3 coupon.

2. V8 Fusion Juice (2) - $4.49 each but 2 for $5 with coupon in Walgreens ad. This coupon is a Walgreens coupon which can be combined with a manufactures coupon which I did - I used 2 of them for $1 off and got both juices for $3

3. Nivea body wash (4) - $5.99 each. They were on sale buy one get one free. I used 2 coupons printed off the stlmommy website for $4 off 2 body washes. So I got all four body washes for $3.98

4. Lysol toilet bowl cleaner (4) - $2.99 each. They were on sale buy one get one free. I had 4 $1 off coupons from a mailing that had come to my house. I can use all four even though 2 were free because the free item is a store promotion. So I was able to get all 4 for $1.98

5. Ziploc bags (2) - On sale 2 for $5. Walgreens keeps a little booklet of coupons by their ads in store. These are Walgreens coupons so they can be combined with manufacture coupons. In the booklet they had a $1 off 2 coupon which I combined with $1 off 2 coupon I had. I got both boxes for $3

6. Mentos Gum (4) - $1.69. Walgreens had a coupon in their ad that reduced the cost to .99. I then combined that with coupons I had for $1 off 2 making each pack of gum .49 cents.

7. Kotex tampons - These were on sale for $3.50 and I had a coupon for $1 off 1 so I paid $2.50

8. Pilot Pens - These were on sale for $1.99. In their in store coupon booklet Walgreens had $1 off 1 coupon which I combined with a printable coupon for $1 off 1 - making it FREE!!

9. Aquafresh toothpaste - On sale for $2.99. In their in store coupon booklet Walgreens had $1 off coupon which I combined with a manufacturer coupon for $1 off making it .99 cents.

As I typed this I realized I forgot to use the ad coupon for the V8 juices - which is a bummer. I still got a great deal, but I could have saved myself even more. So make sure you have ALL the coupons you need before heading to the store!

Remember you can always combine a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. They say on the coupon what they are.

If the store is offering a promotion such as buy 1 get 1 free - use 2 coupons if you have them! That way you get the free item PLUS extra money off the one you pay for.

Hope this helps!!

How I robbed Walgreens (AGAIN)!!!

So I realize that I promised in my budget blogs that I would share some of my couponing tips and ways I save money. I've really slacked on that - but yesterday I had a FABULOUS trip to Walgreens that has inspired me to share.

Now, I will preface this with - THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME!! But, it does happen, and when it does it is SO FUN!! I do however, on average, save about $20-$30 each shopping trip.

Yesterday I went to Walgreens and purchased $77.70 worth of items for $24.37 (before taxes).
No, that is not a typo - I only spent $24.37 - that is a savings of about 68%. I purchased 20 items and the price I paid was the total of about 5 of those items. So I essentially got 15 items free!! - See isn't this FUN!!!

Here is a picture of what I purchased.

And a list:

1 - Dial body wash

2 - V8 Fusion Juices

4 - Nivea Body washes (these alone are 5.99 each at full price)

4 - Lysol toilet bowl cleaners

2 - Boxes Ziploc bags

4 - Mentos Gum

1 - Box Kotex Tampons

1 - Package of Pilot pens

1 - Aquafresh Toothpaste

So how did I do it? I have several resources I use to make this happen.

1. If you don't know about it yet, and/or haven't tried it sign up for http://www.stlmommy.com/ It is free and she will send you updates on your email (you can also sign up via facebook) about freebies available AND most importantly she goes through the drug store and grocery store ads and finds the deals for you. Basically, she does the hard work and you reap the rewards.

2. Clip coupons. Sign up for the Sunday paper and clip any and all coupons that you think you may use. If you use stlmommy.com she will give links to coupons you can print out - but some are ones you have to clip out of the paper. Sometimes you can get the coupon both ways (out of the paper AND through a link to print from) which means MORE savings!

3. Double check the ads yourself for deals on things you may need at the time. She didn't have the mentos deal posted, but I had coupons and Walgreens had a coupon.

4. Stock up on items when you can get great deals. I didn't NEED 5 bodywashes - BUT you rarely find them as cheap as I was able to get them and now I won't need to buy any for a long time.

5. Only buy things you will use. It's not a deal if it will go to waste.

6. Be patient. When I first started using the website and clipping coupons I almost gave up. I didn't feel like I was saving much. But, I kept it up and now I regularly save us LOTS of money. You just have to hold on to the coupons and wait for sales and store ads to match up with the coupons you have.

Check out the website - start clipping coupons and I'll be back to let you know the best ways to put those coupons to use. Let me know how it goes!!

Pantry is finished!!

Well I finished the pantry. It only took about 30 minutes (love when it is quick like that). Really this was more reorganization than organizing. It just had to be cleaned up since it hadn't been touched for at least a year or more.









The neatness doesn't totally come across on the picture, but believe me it looks SO MUCH better!!

I went through shelf by shelf taking everything out, getting rid of what I didn't need and putting like items together for ease of use. The top shelf is baking items. The middle shelf is canned goods and other items that may be used for cooking meals. The bottom shelf is cereal, snacks and drink mixes. I moved medications to the door (very top 2 shelves out of reach from the little one), and the spices are now on the sides of the sliding shelves. The bottom two racks on the door have been intentionally left empty so that the little tornado can't get into them.

Overall, it was quick and easy. Felt good to throw out old items and now things are so easy to find. Plus it's a lot easier on the eyes. Very therapeutic!!

I have come to the realization that my son's closet is going to take a while. It requires the initial organization as well as purchasing items for ease of use for both him and I. But I will post pics as I go and when it is finished.

In the meantime I have picked another project - a cabinet in the kitchen. I plan on doing the entire cabinet, but my motivation is the bottom shelf (see picture). It has become the tossing place for items we want to keep away from the tornado - in other words, Oh, my gosh I can not take it if he plays with/gets into that one more time!!! However, things are beginning to fall out and we can no longer find things that we have put in there, so it is time to tackle it!!

The picture on the left is the entire cabinet.

The picture on the right is zoomed in on the dreaded bottom shelf.

New Projects

I have two new projects I am undertaking. Both are being tackled due to both want and need. I want them organized, but they NEED to be organized because of the little 2 year old tornado I have running around my house.

The first is the little tornado's closet. He moved into his room a couple of months ago and before that it was the "catchall" room. I cleaned most of it out before his move, but didn't get to all of it. No big deal since he's 2 and doesn't really use the closet. Recently, though, my husband removed the doors (due to the tornado's habit of slamming them and pushing them out). So now I have to see the mess every time I go in there.

I'm not a huge fan of open closets. I think they work well in an office or a nursery (especially if the changing table is in there). They have to be kept very neat to look good, but seeing as I don't have a choice I'm gonna do my best! I know I want to get some colored bins to match his room and maybe one of those hanging fabric shelves to put daily clothes choices (we are also going to work on him dressing himself), but not sure what else I want to do.

Any suggestions? Anyone done an open closet? What worked and what didn't work?

The second project is my kitchen pantry. Not long after we moved in my husband built shelves that slide out. This was SO helpful, because my pantry is deep which means it has lots of room, but you could never see what was in the back.

Well, after 3 years of living here - it is a mess again. I also need to find a new spot for spices or anything I currently keep in shelves on the door that can be poured our or sprayed. Feel free to read this as "my 2 year old tornado has a current obsession with spilling and spraying anything he can get his hands on and it's driving me nuts".

Since I'm doing 2 at one time this could take awhile. Plus, one can only be done when he is awake and the other is probably best left for when he is asleep. I will let you know how it goes and post after pictures.

Hello old friend

Okay, so I've been TOTALLY slacking at this, but in my defense I did have a baby in April. Truth is I've just been busy organizing around the house in prep for bringing baby home and adjusting to life with 2 kids, and I've let this slide. But I"M BACK, and I'm hoping to take this to the level that I originally intended - sharing my ideas/tips, what I do to keep my house/life organized. Or as organized as our chaotic lives can be :)

So far I have focused on the financial organizing that I do. I continue to do that and will update from time to time as I adjust what I do to work for me and my family and share it in hopes that it inspires you or helps in some way. I also like to get ideas from others on what they do. That's how we learn best - from each other.

I've recently decided to make an adjustment to our budget. Here's some background to explain why.

For the budget I encourage everyone to have goals to work towards. Well, we have several that we work on at the same time. We are working towards paying off student loans and our mortgage early. We are also working towards early retirement and building a 6 month emergency fund.

As you can imagine this eats up a lot of our budget and leaves little wiggle room. We are fine with the limited cash we get per week because we know we are working towards things that are important to us; however our last goal is not being met. Just as we put money in we are pulling some out to cover expenses such as the fridge repair man, car repairs, home repairs or improvements etc.

This has led me to alter our plan. See, I'm an instant gratification kinda person so I kept thinking the more I put in the emergency fund the faster we would get the 6 months saved up. True - but it wasn't working, we need a little more wiggle room, obviously, or we wouldn't keep dipping into the fund.

So now I'm going to take 10% of what we were saving out and keep it for those expenses that seem to pop up. Hopefully, this will help us reach our goal faster and keep us from dipping :)

I'll let you know how it goes! Any tips or ideas that you use/do?

Teaching kids about money

My dad is great with money. He is retired and living quite comfortably off the nest egg he built himself. Unfortunately, my parents didn't do the best job of teaching me about money. My mom would take me shopping and she always used a credit card - never really explaining how it worked or how they used it (payed if off right away, in debt etc). So when I grew older, it took me a lot of trial and error to learn how to properly manage and save my money.

I had a wonderful conversation today about teaching your kids how to handle money. I've thought about this a few times since my son was born - wondering how I would teach him to be wise with his money. I'm sure these ideas may adapt as he gets older and we get closer to that stage of him earning money, but today I got some really good ideas.


It's actually very simple.
- Find a way for your children (even at a young age) to earn money. Now I believe children should have chores they have to do and don't get paid for - but there can be "extra" things that they can do to earn money.

- Then have them separate that money into 3 "banks".
1 - savings (should be 30-50% of what they earn)
2. Charity (perhaps 1/4 - 1/2 of what is left)
3. Frivilous spending money (to be used right away or saved up for a large purchase).

I don't know about you - but I LOVE this idea. It opens up discussion about how to spend money, how to save money and the importance of giving to others less fortunate!!

It's That Time!!!

The end of the month is here!!! Have you been tracking your spending and bills? It's time to figure out your budget for March. I just sat down and figured out mine - I have to do mine every month since the paycheck varies - If you have a paycheck that is always the same amount - lucky you!!! You only have to do this once essentially (you may want to revisit it from time to time)

Good luck with your Cash Budget and let me know how it goes if you are giving it a try!

Have any questions or roadblocks? Difficulty with any of it - shoot me a question. Maybe I can help.

If your not trying it- why? Just out of curiosity - tell me your concerns, worries or reasons (it might not be for everyone).

Your Cash Budget

Step 6:

Now you go to the bank!! You will do this every month to take out the money you need for the month. You could also do it by week if you so wish.

You need to take out your grocery money and your weekly spending money.

Suggestions:
- Be strict with yourself - hide your credit and debit cards (freeze them in ice if you have to!)

- Divide your monthly grocery and spending budget into weeks. For example if your grocery budget is $400 and there are 4 weeks in the month - you get $100 a week for groceries. I learned this by default when we first began this Cash budget. The first couple months we would get to the last week and wonder where all the money went. Separating it into weeks keeps us from running short at the end of the month.

- As you become more aware of your spending habits and probably begin to spend less (it's amazing how much less willing we are to let go of actual cash) you may wind up having some grocery or weekly money left over. YEAH for you!!! This is yours to do with what you want - put in savings, put towards your goal, stash away for a day when you really feel like shopping or treating yourself.

- Stick with it!!! It will seem painful at first - but after a few months you will realize the stress is gone and you feel a new found freedom with your money. It's a really good feeling to know you are not spending more than you have and you're not living paycheck to paycheck - which happens to even the wealthiest people.

Good luck and if you have any stumbling blocks, suggestions, questions - please let me know!

Step 5

You're almost there!! See 5 steps -give or take - that's not so bad now is it?

This step needs to be reserved for when you are finished calculating your monthly expenses - so if you're not at that point yet, be patient and come back when you've finished. You also need to have finished the other steps as well.

If you have a consistent paycheck every month (the amount never varies) then you only need to do this step a couple times (for each bill cycle - those bills that only show up every 3 months or so).

If you get paid twice a month and the pay varies you may need to do this with every paycheck.

If your family is like mine - and your paycheck varies due to overtime or whatnot, then you should probably do what I do and follow this step EVERY month. I know it sounds like a pain, but it does make you feel in control - because you WILL be!!

Step 5:

- Start off by putting your paycheck amount at the top of a piece of paper.

- Now I'm a HUGE believer in paying yourself first (towards your goals - not shoes or electronics); however, let's be realistic. Bills have to be paid. So that is where we start.

- Start listing your bills under your paycheck amount. Remember this includes all automatic deductions taken out of your accounts - even on a credit card.

- If you have credit card debt and your goal is to get out of it - then wait on listing this bill. Same with Student loan debt - IF it is your goal to pay it off faster, otherwise list the minimum amount with your bills.

- Add up all your bills and deduct that amount from your paycheck. You may want to leave a bit of a buffer in your checking account for those bills that vary month to month.

- Deduct what you need for grocery/toiletries (you should have an idea of this from keeping track of your expenses for a month - and you may have realized you could cut back because you were spending more than you really realized.)

- Now it's time to start paying yourself.

- Decide (if you haven't already) on an amount to pay towards and IRA and send this check off right away. This will keep you from spending it later.

- Put an amount of money away in a savings account. Continue to do this until you have a buffer of 6 months living expenses + a little extra emergency fund towards those "surprises" that pop-up (car repair, home improvement, etc).

- Choose an amount of money to put towards your goal.

- Finally, the rest of the money is yours to spend as you wish throughout the month.

Now you know exactly where your money is going and the stress of where the money will come from is for the most part eliminated.

Here is an example of a monthly budget (purely made up):

Paycheck: $4000.00

Bills:
$1000 - Mortgage
$125 - Gas company
$50 - Life insurance
$25 - Sewer bill
$120 - Electric company
$124 - T.V. and internet
$75 - cell phone
$38 - Trash pick-up
$46 - American Water
$15 - Weekend paper
$640 - Daycare

Bill total: $2258 Minus paycheck total:$1742

Grocery and toiletries - $400
IRA contribution - $175
Savings contribution - $300
Goal contribution - $230

Leaves: $637 for monthly spending (going out to eat, buying clothes or other items that are a want vs. need)

For the next step - we will be heading to the bank and hiding the plastic!!!

Step 4

Step 4:

Now is the time to contact a few professionals. (If you are still keeping track of your budget for the month - this is still a step you can do NOW)

You may have noticed that my goal examples did not include contributing to a work related retirement program or an IRA. These things are mandatory!!! You WILL be able to do these with the cash budget. We can't rely on social security to be there or be enough for us when we retire, and no one wants to work till they die - so we MUST take care of ourselves. It may seem like something you can let go - but you can not!!

Retiring at a certain age was on the list - that is there for those of you who would like to retire early - that can be a goal, but everyone needs to be saving for their future.

*Contact the person in charge of payroll and retirement contributions in your workplace.
- Find out how you can start contributing to your work retirement plan - it is usually as easy as filling out some paperwork.
- Decide on an amount that you can contribute each paycheck. It may be small - but be realistic and contribute as much as you can afford - when I was teaching I could only afford $50 a month. It wasn't much, but it was a start!!
- If your work matches contributions (usually up to a certain amount) try your best to contribute the maximum amount. It's FREE money - who doesn't like that!!

*Contact a professional about opening an IRA.
- An expert can help you decide what kind of IRA is best for you.
- If you are married it is a good idea to have an IRA in both your names.
- Decide on an amount you can afford to contribute per month or make a yearly goal and break it up into monthly payments.

* Finally, once these are set up - contact a lawyer about setting up a will/trust. If you don't have the money to pay a lawyer - make it a goal to save up for it and do it as soon as possible. Till then there are some free or less expensive ones you can fill out on-line. It is important to make sure the ones you love will be taken care of and your assets will be allocated the way you want.

- I want to add a disclaimer here. I do not claim to be a financial whiz or expert. I am simply a Type A personality who likes things in order (even finances) and has found a system that works for me and my family. I have had several people ask me how I do it and thought I would share; however, when it comes to your money and investments - always consult an expert in that field.

Step 3

Step 3:

This step is short but may be challenging for some. This is the time to sit down and create goals for your financial future. Think long term. Having goals will help you allocate your money.

Some examples:
- Retire by a certain age
- Save money for child's education
- Have enough money to open up a business
- Build up a savings account
- Pay off student loans
- Pay off your mortgage
- Pay off your car
- Or whatever your long term financial goal may be

You may have several goals - in this case, list them in order of importance. It may be possible to tackle more than one at a time, but in some cases you may need to prioritize and move down your list one by one.

Once you have your goals in place - you know where you are headed and putting that money away towards something you really want/dream of makes it that much easier.

Budget Step 2

Yes, I know Feb. is not over yet - but some people like to look ahead and some already know what their expenses are each month. So I will continue on and you can always check back at the end of the month.

Step 2:
- Go through your expenses and eliminate anything you don't really need or can live without.

No one likes this part - but it is crucial if you want to feel like you are in charge of your money. You don't have to completely deprive yourself. I'm not suggesting you never eat out or that you drop your cable/dish; however, there may be places where you can cut back.

Example:
- Check you cell phone bill - do you use all your minutes? Could you go on a cheaper plan?
- Do you need both a cell phone and landline?
- Check your cable/dish bill - do you have more channels than you really watch?
- Could you lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer? - just a couple degrees can make a difference in your bill.
- If you get coffee daily - could you live with a couple times a week and make the rest at home?
- If you use an automatic dvd delivery system - could you cancel and rent movies for a buck or free from Redbox instead?
- Did you realize how often you eat out - can you cut back a little?
- Buy more clothes than you thought? How about treating yourself only once or twice a month?

Some of these amounts may seem very small - but they add up and will make a BIG difference in your cash budget!!!

We did this very step when we began - and it hurt at first, but we really don't notice it now. The hardest thing for me to give up was my membership to Massage Envy, but when I really thought about it I realized I didn't use it as often as I thought I would and it really was a want and not a need. I don't feel deprived either - now when I want a massage I just work it into the budget and go enjoy - guilt free!!

Now - go attack that budget - where can you cut back?

Budget Time

Been without a computer for awhile and I'm finally back up and running!

Okay I'm moving away from the menu thing for a while since it is still a work in progress for me, and moving onto an aspect of organization I've got down pat - The family budget.

10 months ago my family and I switched from using our debit card and having a very loosey goosey budget to what we like to call our "Cash Budget". It seemed a little daunting at first - but we are SO glad we did it and have NO plans to go back.

As the one in the family in charge of the bills and finances it also relieved a lot of stress. It takes some organizing and planning - but it is TOTALLY worth it.

I'm going to take you through it step by step so you can see if this can work for your family.

Step 1:
- Keep track of your family's spending and bills for 1 month. (Figured Feb 1 would be a good time to start)
- Write down every bill that you pay (gas, trash, water, electric, mortgage, student loans etc)
- Remember you may have some that come every 3 months or so - try not to forget about these, you'll need to know the amount for the month they are due!
- Write down every automatic deduction you have that comes out of your bank account (gym membership, daycare, tanning - whatever it may be)
- Write down every amount you spend - grocery, out to eat, coffee, clothes, etc. And write down what it was spent on.


This step HAS to be completed in order to move on and give the cash budget a try - again, a bit of a pain (save the receipts if you want and add them up at the end), but look on the bright side - February is a short month!!

Good luck and if you have any questions let me know.

Smart Shopping

In keeping with the menu theme, I thought I would share my trip to the grocery store today. Now, you're thinking - "wait a minute - you said you shop on Tuesdays". Well, yes - sometimes. But often, I can stretch my menu longer (due to unexpected eating out and whatnot). When this happens I will shop at Shop n Save on Thursday if they have really good deals. Of course I take my coupons and a list. This is often when I shop for our "essentials" for breakfast and lunch.

Shop n Save on Thursday can really be a great deal - if nothing else, you automatically get $10 off of $50 or more in groceries. Depending on which store you go to - some will even split your grocery bill if you have enough to qualify twice! That's $20 saved!

I do recommend going early if you can - Thursdays at Shop n Save get busy.

Here's the deal I got today:

I purchased 32 items for $55.11 including tax - That's about $1.72 per item!!!

After coupons, the $10 off in store and specials they were having throughout the store I saved a total of : $47.99 (which was 47% of my bill) I saved almost HALF of what my groceries should have cost.

I do buy some generic items, but I also got several name brand items and to prove it I'm going to list it all out for you.

- 1/2 gallon of nonbrand ice cream
- 2 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers frozen meals (used a $1 off 2 coupon)
- 2 Shop n Save frozen pizzas
- 2 half gallons of Wild Harvest organic Whole milk
- 2 1 1/2 pound chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 homepride loaf of whole wheat bread
- 1 box of apple jacks cereal
- 1 box of fruit loops cereal (used a $1 off 2 coupon - qualified with the apple jacks and were on sale)
- 2 boxes of pops cereal (used a $1 off 2 coupon and they were on sale)
- 1 box of honeymaid graham crackers
- 2 cans of pringles
- 1 loaf of frozen garlic bread (shop n save brand)
- 2 fiber one yogurt four packs (used 2 $1.35 off coupons)
- 1 International delight creamer (used a Free coupon)
- 2 Fudgeshoppe Deluxe Grahams cookies
- 2 boxes Jollytime healthy pop popcorn
- 3 cans of Healthy Choice soup
- 1 twix candy bar (I'm pregnant and it caught my eye)
- 3 twelve packs of can soda (7up, dr pepper and rootbeer)

It took minimal work to look through the Shop n Save ad, look through my coupons and create a list. Hopefully I have inspired you to begin to save coupons and save money!!! Good luck. As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Organize your life in 2010!

I've always been told I am exceptionally organized, that is, of course, when I'm not being called anal.

I never really thought of it as a true talent, but rather something I needed in my life. It has come to my attention recently that perhaps I do possess a skill that others could benefit from.

So I've decided to take a passion of mine; that's right organizing is something I truly enjoy, and share how I do it with others. My organization is not limited to just closets and pantries. I organize my time, my family budget, my family schedule and many other things.

Some of what I share you may already do - somethings may be new to you - and some may not be interested in orgazning at all, but I hope to inspire some to make their lives a little simpler through organization.

I'm going to start off by sharing one of my goals for the new year - Cooking more at home! I will share my menus and how I go about planning it in the least stressful way possible. A small waiver here - I do not love to cook so if you ask for recipes I'm more than willing to share - but they are not my own. I also like simple meals that take limited time and everyday "normal' ingredients. So if you are a lover of cooking - this portion probably won't suit you as much.

I plan my family meals about a week in advance. I usually plan them from Tuesday to Monday. There is a method behind this. I like to wait to grocery shop until I get the store ads in the mail on Monday. I use coupons (more on that later) and look at what is on sale at various stores to help plan my menu.

Some people like to do a month in advance, but I personally think that is too much. We like to eat out from time to time and it is not always planned in advance. In fact I usually leave one unplanned day a week for eating out and keep easy frozen stirfry or some other meal in case we stay in. Other things come up as well, and if I'm only planned a week ahead I can easily push back some nights.

Now I do NOT plan my menu exclusively on what is on sale; however, if a sale correlates with some recipes I have, then I plan on making those meals. Make sense?

When do I find time to do this - Monday during my son's nap or after he has gone to bed. I sit down with the ads, my coupons, and my recipes and begin making my grocery list. Also - I don't plan sides to go with dinner usually. I just keep on hand various sides we like (canned veggies, fruit, potatoes, etc).

So here are the meals I have made thus far for January:
1/4 - spicy salmon over brown rice
1/5 - Cola Chops
1/6 - Southwest Chicken and taco soup
1/7 - beef stroganoff
1/8 - dinner with friends
1/9 - dinner out
1/10 - busy running around had to push to Monday
1/11 - Eggplant parmesean
1/12 - taco salad
1/13 - Easy skillet
1/14 - Stuffed peppers
1/15 - Hubby not home - microwave meal for me
1/16 - Easy frozen stirfry or dinner out
1/17 - Parmesean Chicken
1/18 - Chili

Now why do I bother to do this???

Taking some time on Monday saves me time and stress later in the week. After I go to the grocery store I know I have everything I need to make meals for 1 week. When dinner time approaches, there is no worry about what is for dinner - it is already planned and again the recipes I pick are simple, so no hassle there.

To me it is worth the peace of mind to give up a little time on Monday to organize my meals - and maybe you'll agree! Good luck! Let me know if it works for you or if you have any of your own suggestions to add.