As I was driving home from class tonight, I made an unscheduled pit-stop at Target to pick up some things on my list. But I didn't have my coupons and I was hungry and I was SPEECHLESS at the cost of men's razor blades - $18 for 8, what were they kidding?? Well Wes needs them and I said bad words in my head as I trekked back to the checkout, thinking I should have remembered them at CostCo when I went this morning (and next time I go, I'll buy 100 razor blades and use a coupon and save money). But I had a list and I stuck to it, except the Cheetos at the checkout, which were $1.24 (a bag 4 times as big is only twice as much... oops).
Do you make a budget? You should. You need to, really.
Make a list of all your regular expenses. Itemize the silly stuff, like oil changes or car repairs, stamps and birthday gifts (we have two or three a month, it seems), magazines and movies (under entertainment, I suppose), pet food and vet bills, etc. Then write down what you earn, what you save, what you give and what you spend. Pray it balances (because I do this regularly - prayers are good).
Need to trim your budget? Here are some of my suggestions:
1. Plan out at least one year of your expenses in advance - you can view most of your past bills on line for the last 6 months, and your gas and power bills for a year. Really look at your spending realistically.
2. Check out your cell phone plan - sprint has an optimizer that analyzes your last 6 billing cycles and then tells you if you need a higher or lower plan. Do you really need lots of cell phones? For YEARS we had just one - whoever was OUT or OUT OF TOWN had it.
3. Call around for cable/phone/internet combos and determine if someone has a better deal. I just called for no reason (well, I was missing a channel I like all of a sudden) and they lowered my bill because that channel wasn't premium any more but included in my regular lineup.
4. Talk to your power people about the budget plan. I generally don't advocate this but if it helps you maintain your spending, go for it.
5. Pay your bills early. PERIOD. Since my husband is paid twice per month, I get up the morning of payday and pay ALL THE BILLS due in those 15 or so days - and we live on the rest. Could be lots, could be not-so-lots, depending on the month. No late fees is better for your credit and better on your budget.
6. Use coupons - I don't care if it is for eating out, buying birthday presents, or household goods, just find a coupon (see my rather lengthy post on coupons). If you have fluff room in your budget, pay the full amount due and get back the coupon-amount and donate it, give it to your kids, or buy a small treat (this is how I afford hardback books here lately).
7. INSURANCE - call and get quotes on this, too - car, house, personal property, identity theft, flood, etc. We use one company for just about everything, but my husband went with insure.com (or something like that) and got a super-duper rate on his life insurance, which couldn't be matched by his employer OR or primary insurers so we switched that one.
The bottom line is that you need to know where your money is going. You need to make a budget. You need to balance your bank account. You need to file your receipts away. You need to save, and you need to give. You need to take the time to call everyone from the trash company (VWS has the cheapest backyard service in Hampton Park, by the way) to the insurance company to make sure you have the best, least-expensive deal.
Anyway some of those suggestions have worked for me and enabled me to pick up extra treats (specifically the coupons at CostCo give me money to buy books, since I don't like used ones). I hope you'll make a budget, stick to it, and use some of these cost-cutting tips to buy your own treats!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Picky About Produce? Shop in-Season
You know by now how much I love shopping in-bulk. Here's my latest story:
I do most of my fresh produce shopping at the local farmer's market, the Chesterfield Berry Farm, from about May - September or October. They are closer than CostCo, they are in many instances cheaper than CostCo, and I'm supporting the local growers. Every week, CBF features a new crop, usually what is in-season. This week and for the next few weeks, it will be green (and yellow) squash.
As always I purchased the box, which is 13 pounds of zucchini for $10. Sometimes I am lucky and they'll mix up 1/2 squash and have zucchini but I have to wait a few more weeks, they told me. At present, zucchini is $1.89/pound. With all my zucchini I make:
I do most of my fresh produce shopping at the local farmer's market, the Chesterfield Berry Farm, from about May - September or October. They are closer than CostCo, they are in many instances cheaper than CostCo, and I'm supporting the local growers. Every week, CBF features a new crop, usually what is in-season. This week and for the next few weeks, it will be green (and yellow) squash.
As always I purchased the box, which is 13 pounds of zucchini for $10. Sometimes I am lucky and they'll mix up 1/2 squash and have zucchini but I have to wait a few more weeks, they told me. At present, zucchini is $1.89/pound. With all my zucchini I make:
- breakfast (sausage, egg, zucchini casserole - eat one and freeze one),
- lunch (zucchini soup, garden vegetable chilil, and sliced raw with ranch dressing),
- snacks (zucchini muffins -like bread but in muffin form),
- dinner side-dishes (grilled with olive oil or sauted with butter or simmered with tomatos and italian spices) and
- dessert (chocolate cake with shredded zucchini disguised in it)
One good thing - saving money.
Second good thing - eating healthy - my kids have no idea how much zucchini they eat and I know where the food is coming from
Third good thing - the produce lasts about TWO WEEKS in my fridge because it is farm-picked fresh.
And of course you're helping the local economy, a win-win for everyone.
If you want any of these recipes, just email me - they aren't mine to post but they are favorites that my whole family eats, especially the garden chili - towards the end of the summer, we make the whole thing solely from our garden. And because there are so many ways to eat zucchini (or other foods in-season, which gives me a whole 'nother idea for a set of blogs) we don't get tired of it. Finally when you are totally over zucchini, shred it and freeze it in 2-cup freezer bags and make fresh zucchini bread in the fall (but don't forget to add it to your freezer list so you don't forget about it).
Wes grilled it for me last night and I had it sliced with ranch this morning. Purchasing food at less than half price makes me so happy - it helps my food budget and I hope it gives you inspiration in the kitchen and within your own food budget!
Magazines - Have You Heard?
I love magazines. I mean I get a LOT of magazines - People, Us, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Southern Living, Taste of Home, Scrapbooks ETC... more... and then Wes gets a bunch too. And that doesn't include what I trade with friends on the street.
DISCLAIMER
Magazines are an excellent place to save money. Don't buy them and don't subscribe to them if you're watching money. Read them at the library. But I don't like the library and don't like used paper products... so I cut somewhere else to get my magazine fix.
Have you heard about Maghound.com? A few months back I got an email about it and just can't figure out what's the catch! I've been a subscriber for a white now and am totally hooked. And I've hooked my family, too!
Here's how it works:
DISCLAIMER
Magazines are an excellent place to save money. Don't buy them and don't subscribe to them if you're watching money. Read them at the library. But I don't like the library and don't like used paper products... so I cut somewhere else to get my magazine fix.
Have you heard about Maghound.com? A few months back I got an email about it and just can't figure out what's the catch! I've been a subscriber for a white now and am totally hooked. And I've hooked my family, too!
Here's how it works:
- Inventory all the magazines you subscribe to and all the ones you buy at the store (and if you're buying them, you should buy them at CostCo)
- Go to maghound.com and see if any of your regulars are listed (most of mine are)
- pick a plan of 3, 5, 7 or more and pay one monthly fee to maghound.com
There are 300 magazines to choose from. The weeklies have a small surcharge, but the bonus is that if you select a magazine published bimonthly, maghound gives you SUBSTITUTES for free (like getting two subscriptions for the price of one). You can update your choices AT ANY TIME. You can stop your membership AT ANY TIME. The only comment I have is that you don't get to select your substitues, so if Maxim doesn't arrive one month, there's no guarantee that Men's Health will arrive in its place (but I've emailed them my suggestion).
NOTE, subscriptions through maghound.com no not affect your current subscriptions so if you have one, call the publisher directly to cancel it immediately.
Here's how I rationalize saving money: 1 issue of Southern Living costs $4.99 - one issue at CostSo is $3.50; a subscription is $20 for 13 issues if I recall, or $1.66/issue. But where you get caught are RENEWALS! Those costs aren't cheap! Or if you're like me, you get mad because the issue is in the stores before it arrives on your doorstep.
I have selected the 7-magazine tier for $9.95/month but I get People, which has a surcharge because it is a weekly. For the cost of what I would pay for People at CostCo PER MONTH, I get 6 other magazines for free (or what my budget perceives as free).
If you're looking to save money, this isn't the best 'save' for you, but if you're saving money within your magazines budget (I have a line-item in my budget for EVERYTHING), I think maghound.com is the best deal around. And like I've said - this works for me and I hope it works for you, too!
Cheap or Not So Cheap - Buying & Selling Girls' Clothes
Today I have lots of posts stuck in my head because it has been a while since I've posted - sorry about that.
I want to share with you my morning's purchase. I hit the mother-load at Gymboree this morning.
You know I sell my girls' used clothes on eBAY - and I've said before, I get it all on eBAY. Gymboree dresses, hair accessories, and swimwear sell used for about as much as I often pay for them, between $10 to $15 (new, full price dresses retail for $32ish and swim $22ish). That makes dressing my girls in the summer close to zero-cost.
READ ME - I save 'here' to spend 'somewhere else,' so I buy things like jewelry, outfits and the occasional pair of sandals, which don't turn over as well but still sell used. (This is a case of do what I say and not exactly as I do.)
My point is that it doesn't always save more to spend less - there are super-cute things from Kohls and Target that last through the season and might last for hand-me-downs for the next child. But you don't get much back at a consignment store, yard sale, etc. I can spend about the SAME amount per outfit on Gymboree clothes that someone else spends at Kohls or Target, and the difference is that I get more money back.
I take the time to list my girls' clothes on eBAY and then take that money to buy their summer clothes. Another instance of time versus money - I have or make the time so I can have the money. In the month of April, I made $1138 selling mostly used Gymboree and Lilly clothes - eBAYers lose about 10 - 15% to fees, but that's still $1000 take-home. My friend has a PayPal debit card to help control spending, a bit like 'my' money and 'our' money. I transfer most of my eBAY earnings to my savings account and withdraw when the occasion calls - like this morning.
To illustrate my best finds:
seashell shorts $4.47 & matching clam tank $4.47
Full price = $25.50
pineapple tee $8.67 & pineapple shorts $9.37 pineapple sandals $13.15
pineapple ponytail holder $2
FULL PRICE $81.25
stripe short $6.71 & matching top $5.59
FULL PRICE $44.50
Of course, I bought dresses and hair accessories from the watermelon line, which at present is full-price, 30% off plus my 20% off coupon - but those aren't the best, best deals, shown above.
The prices for tops and bottoms shown above are right in line with what I saw at Target last night, except those are complete Gymboree outfits. As I said above, for girls' clothes, dresses sell the best. But I have had 2 -piece outfits sell between $5 - $15 used. And I never, ever sell the hair accessories with the outfit. Some people pay MORE than retail for USED hair accessories still on the card (my personal best is $11.50 for lemony fresh, from 2004, I think, for which I paid $3).
In sum, you don't always save more spending money on lower quality clothing. I recycle my same money summer after summer, selling my old Gymboree clothes to buy my girls new ones, rarely spending more than what I have. Hit the sales, use a coupon, and find the time to list and sell and ship your auctions - I think you'll fare better than if you shop Target/Kohls or consign.
This works best for me, and I hope it works well for you, too!!
I want to share with you my morning's purchase. I hit the mother-load at Gymboree this morning.
- I used a coupon on top of a 30% off your entire purchase sale
- I bought sale items (not full-price, on sale for 30% off but clearance stuff)
You know I sell my girls' used clothes on eBAY - and I've said before, I get it all on eBAY. Gymboree dresses, hair accessories, and swimwear sell used for about as much as I often pay for them, between $10 to $15 (new, full price dresses retail for $32ish and swim $22ish). That makes dressing my girls in the summer close to zero-cost.
READ ME - I save 'here' to spend 'somewhere else,' so I buy things like jewelry, outfits and the occasional pair of sandals, which don't turn over as well but still sell used. (This is a case of do what I say and not exactly as I do.)
My point is that it doesn't always save more to spend less - there are super-cute things from Kohls and Target that last through the season and might last for hand-me-downs for the next child. But you don't get much back at a consignment store, yard sale, etc. I can spend about the SAME amount per outfit on Gymboree clothes that someone else spends at Kohls or Target, and the difference is that I get more money back.
I take the time to list my girls' clothes on eBAY and then take that money to buy their summer clothes. Another instance of time versus money - I have or make the time so I can have the money. In the month of April, I made $1138 selling mostly used Gymboree and Lilly clothes - eBAYers lose about 10 - 15% to fees, but that's still $1000 take-home. My friend has a PayPal debit card to help control spending, a bit like 'my' money and 'our' money. I transfer most of my eBAY earnings to my savings account and withdraw when the occasion calls - like this morning.
To illustrate my best finds:
seashell shorts $4.47 & matching clam tank $4.47
Full price = $25.50
pineapple tee $8.67 & pineapple shorts $9.37 pineapple sandals $13.15
pineapple ponytail holder $2
FULL PRICE $81.25
stripe short $6.71 & matching top $5.59
FULL PRICE $44.50
Of course, I bought dresses and hair accessories from the watermelon line, which at present is full-price, 30% off plus my 20% off coupon - but those aren't the best, best deals, shown above.
The prices for tops and bottoms shown above are right in line with what I saw at Target last night, except those are complete Gymboree outfits. As I said above, for girls' clothes, dresses sell the best. But I have had 2 -piece outfits sell between $5 - $15 used. And I never, ever sell the hair accessories with the outfit. Some people pay MORE than retail for USED hair accessories still on the card (my personal best is $11.50 for lemony fresh, from 2004, I think, for which I paid $3).
In sum, you don't always save more spending money on lower quality clothing. I recycle my same money summer after summer, selling my old Gymboree clothes to buy my girls new ones, rarely spending more than what I have. Hit the sales, use a coupon, and find the time to list and sell and ship your auctions - I think you'll fare better than if you shop Target/Kohls or consign.
This works best for me, and I hope it works well for you, too!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Doctor, Doctor - Flex Me
Well I have to start by saying Thank Goodness for Health Insurance!
As was 2008, February 2009 is the month of plague in our house. And I'm a big fan of Lysol spray and Clorox wipes, so it has to come from somewhere else - plus they rarely get the same things... Lily had flu "b" ~ then Maggie had strep ~ and now Lily has a GI bug that supposedly lasts 24 - 48 hours. Since I've spent so much on copays and drugs lately, I tried a tip from a good friend and it WORKED! To counter the cost of the copay for the visit, I asked for a sample of one of the meds the pediatrician suggested. So next time you go to your doctor, consider asking for a sample, too.
Also along this vein is the flexible spending account that many employers offer. Don't worry you won't use it -or lose it because many programs offer a calculator to help you add up your out of pocket costs over a calendar year. And every year we use it, we run out well in advance. We save on taxes as well as with the employer contribution. Also, at places like Walgreen's, they bill our Flexible Spending Account directly so I don't even see the cost of prescriptions, which helps with cash flow... that you could use to buy your kids a movie or two or three since they are stuck on the couch or in bed!
Thanks for the great tip, Ness! It helped me and I hope it helps you too!
As was 2008, February 2009 is the month of plague in our house. And I'm a big fan of Lysol spray and Clorox wipes, so it has to come from somewhere else - plus they rarely get the same things... Lily had flu "b" ~ then Maggie had strep ~ and now Lily has a GI bug that supposedly lasts 24 - 48 hours. Since I've spent so much on copays and drugs lately, I tried a tip from a good friend and it WORKED! To counter the cost of the copay for the visit, I asked for a sample of one of the meds the pediatrician suggested. So next time you go to your doctor, consider asking for a sample, too.
Also along this vein is the flexible spending account that many employers offer. Don't worry you won't use it -or lose it because many programs offer a calculator to help you add up your out of pocket costs over a calendar year. And every year we use it, we run out well in advance. We save on taxes as well as with the employer contribution. Also, at places like Walgreen's, they bill our Flexible Spending Account directly so I don't even see the cost of prescriptions, which helps with cash flow... that you could use to buy your kids a movie or two or three since they are stuck on the couch or in bed!
Thanks for the great tip, Ness! It helped me and I hope it helps you too!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons
OK here's some neat information for you. Did you know that Michael's Arts & Crafts accepts all competitor coupons? Did you know that restaurants often accept expired coupons? And so does Bed, Bath & Beyond - and they take up to TWO coupons for one transaction!! Did you know that Lowe's and Home Depot honor each other's prices with an additional 10% savings of the difference? And have you heard about restaurant.com?
1. I am a crafter. And I never ever go into Michael's without a JoAnn's coupon. First, I don't always buy the paper and when I do there isn't always a Michael's flier in there. But when you walk in the store and go to customer service, there is a sign posted that reads something to the effect that we honor competitors coupons. So go to JoAnn.com and sign up for the online newsletter and coupons! Print those suckers out and leave them in your car for the next time you need a birthday gift or a craft item. You'll be surprised at how much you save.
2. I like Valpack coupons and the Reach magazine has good ones too. Some local restaurants honor their expired Valpack or Reach coupons. All you have to do is ask! I did!
3. Bed Bath and Beyond has two kinds of coupons - $10 off $30 purchase and 20% off one item. You can use them both at the same time. AND you can use expired coupons - so don't throw these away either! Save them for the next time you need something, anything - Yankee Candle, some kitchen-y or bath item you might get at Target or Kohls is now cheaper at BB&B.
4. When we were building shelving for our garage last year, Wes bought a bunch of lumber at Lowe's. We went the next weekend to Home Depot for the kids' event (I think the girls built a sailboat) and I was pricing the lumber behind me while they worked on the boat. Well wouldn't you know the wood was cheaper. So Wes bought it all again at Home Depot and since I had the Lowe's receipt with me, we could prove the prices at Lowe's so they we got the discounted price PLUS an additional 10 percent off the discount. Another instance where it pays to know the cost of things.
5. Restaurant.com is a website that offers prepaid coupons/gift cards online to local restaurants (no chains that I can see). This past week they ran a special where the coupons were $5 for $25 gift certificate. And we bought 6, 3 to a restaurant we love and 3 to new ones we wanted to try; we spent $30 to save $150. Now you must be warned that some of these coupons have a minimal spending of $35 and one coupon per family per night (just read the fine print). For my family of 4 it isn't hard to spend $35 on a meal, even without drinks. So the $35 meal will cost us $15 out of pocket plus the tip we would have had to pay anyway.
I LOVE COUPONS! Take the time to cut them out or print them out. Then organize them. Then use them! (Just don't use a coupon to get something you didn't need just because you have a coupon.) This help me save a little bit for the new Lilly Pulitzer dress I have my eye on, and I hope it helps you save enough to get your expensive treat, too!
1. I am a crafter. And I never ever go into Michael's without a JoAnn's coupon. First, I don't always buy the paper and when I do there isn't always a Michael's flier in there. But when you walk in the store and go to customer service, there is a sign posted that reads something to the effect that we honor competitors coupons. So go to JoAnn.com and sign up for the online newsletter and coupons! Print those suckers out and leave them in your car for the next time you need a birthday gift or a craft item. You'll be surprised at how much you save.
2. I like Valpack coupons and the Reach magazine has good ones too. Some local restaurants honor their expired Valpack or Reach coupons. All you have to do is ask! I did!
3. Bed Bath and Beyond has two kinds of coupons - $10 off $30 purchase and 20% off one item. You can use them both at the same time. AND you can use expired coupons - so don't throw these away either! Save them for the next time you need something, anything - Yankee Candle, some kitchen-y or bath item you might get at Target or Kohls is now cheaper at BB&B.
4. When we were building shelving for our garage last year, Wes bought a bunch of lumber at Lowe's. We went the next weekend to Home Depot for the kids' event (I think the girls built a sailboat) and I was pricing the lumber behind me while they worked on the boat. Well wouldn't you know the wood was cheaper. So Wes bought it all again at Home Depot and since I had the Lowe's receipt with me, we could prove the prices at Lowe's so they we got the discounted price PLUS an additional 10 percent off the discount. Another instance where it pays to know the cost of things.
5. Restaurant.com is a website that offers prepaid coupons/gift cards online to local restaurants (no chains that I can see). This past week they ran a special where the coupons were $5 for $25 gift certificate. And we bought 6, 3 to a restaurant we love and 3 to new ones we wanted to try; we spent $30 to save $150. Now you must be warned that some of these coupons have a minimal spending of $35 and one coupon per family per night (just read the fine print). For my family of 4 it isn't hard to spend $35 on a meal, even without drinks. So the $35 meal will cost us $15 out of pocket plus the tip we would have had to pay anyway.
I LOVE COUPONS! Take the time to cut them out or print them out. Then organize them. Then use them! (Just don't use a coupon to get something you didn't need just because you have a coupon.) This help me save a little bit for the new Lilly Pulitzer dress I have my eye on, and I hope it helps you save enough to get your expensive treat, too!
Pictures & Photos
Since my parents have the girls this weekend, I've had a little time to do some scrapbooking. But since I hadn't done it in a while, it was time to organize my photos and then get them printed so I can scrap. Of course, one key to saving money is staying organized, whether grocery shopping with a list, scrapbooking with preselected photos, or researching product costs.
The cheapest place I can find to print photos is SNAPFISH. You buy a prepaid plan, which is good for two years and get 250 photos at 8 cents each.
Option one is to take your camera card to a store and get immediate prints - most expensive.
Option two is to take your camera card to the store and get one-hour prints - next expensive.
Option three is to upload selected photos to a store site and pick them up later - getting better.
Option four is to upload selected photos to a website and have them mailed to you - even better.
Option five is to wait for a free shipping sale at Snapfish and print your photos - cheapest!!
(Just to share my research, Shutterfly has prepaid packages as low as 10 cents each but you have to buy a huge number - and without a plan, the prints are 15 cents each, almost twice as much as Snapfish. The advantage is that you upload online and you can have them printed at Target - but you cannot use the prepaid prints for that, as they tell you in teeny, tiny print. And since you know what a CostCo junkie I am, they charge 13 cents each to print out and pick up in the store - still not as good as Snapfish. And gas to the store and back probably equals the few-dollar shipping charges online sites use.)
As I said above, you have to stay organized. One advantage with a prepaid plan is that you have to take the time to upload your photos, so you don't just hit select~ALL and print all your photos, thereby wasting SO many pictures that don't go into an album or scrapbook. The other advantage to the prepaid plan is the cost - the pictures from Snapfish are just about 1/2 the cost of other places and in some instances 1/3 the cost! Now if you need pictures in a hurry, CostCo or SAMS is probably the way to go. But again, if you are organized and just print here and there, you will have your photos printed and ready to scrap (or file) next time your girlfriends call.
Since I like to scrap, I know this bit of research has helped me - I hope it helps you as well!!
The cheapest place I can find to print photos is SNAPFISH. You buy a prepaid plan, which is good for two years and get 250 photos at 8 cents each.
Option one is to take your camera card to a store and get immediate prints - most expensive.
Option two is to take your camera card to the store and get one-hour prints - next expensive.
Option three is to upload selected photos to a store site and pick them up later - getting better.
Option four is to upload selected photos to a website and have them mailed to you - even better.
Option five is to wait for a free shipping sale at Snapfish and print your photos - cheapest!!
(Just to share my research, Shutterfly has prepaid packages as low as 10 cents each but you have to buy a huge number - and without a plan, the prints are 15 cents each, almost twice as much as Snapfish. The advantage is that you upload online and you can have them printed at Target - but you cannot use the prepaid prints for that, as they tell you in teeny, tiny print. And since you know what a CostCo junkie I am, they charge 13 cents each to print out and pick up in the store - still not as good as Snapfish. And gas to the store and back probably equals the few-dollar shipping charges online sites use.)
As I said above, you have to stay organized. One advantage with a prepaid plan is that you have to take the time to upload your photos, so you don't just hit select~ALL and print all your photos, thereby wasting SO many pictures that don't go into an album or scrapbook. The other advantage to the prepaid plan is the cost - the pictures from Snapfish are just about 1/2 the cost of other places and in some instances 1/3 the cost! Now if you need pictures in a hurry, CostCo or SAMS is probably the way to go. But again, if you are organized and just print here and there, you will have your photos printed and ready to scrap (or file) next time your girlfriends call.
Since I like to scrap, I know this bit of research has helped me - I hope it helps you as well!!
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