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Week 5-8 on $aving Money and 2 free books

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It all started when a friend and I gave a talk at the Moms group about couponing and saving money . . . then I was asked to give another talk with a slide show presentation.  I had everything ready to go and then it was cancelled.  I was disappointed but then figured I would just do a weekly series on my blog using the slide presentation as my outline.

I wrote and wrote with little stories but then I lost interest.  Not exactly lost interest in the topic but I found I wanted to write about other things.  I’m also someone who wants to finish what they start.  There was also another component to me stopping.  I didn’t like how I felt–telling people how they could save money.  I felt like I was imposing my values rather than just presenting facts.  My intention was just to put ideas out there of how I save and how some of my friends save money . . .

I think I started second guessing myself when so many people were so negative on a personal level.  I thought “really?  over organic milk and veggies?” so I have decided that I will combine the last 4 weeks into one post and make it a top ten list.   I will have a sense of accomplishment and will be able to move on without the post lurking and I won’t mention saving money again unless someone asks me.

So here are the last of the series in a top ten list!

  1. Get a Target Red card and use it to save 5% on everything.
  2. Plant your favorite food in your back yard.  I’m grow organic zucchini in a container then I eat it and shred it and freeze it.
  3. Use the CVS and Walgreens options wisely.  They have these incentives that allow for “bucks” and you can spend them on what you wish.  I don’t do this but I have a friend who “cleans up” doing it.
  4. Make a list of things you know you will need in the future and look for those on clearance–school supplies, Lysol wipes, Ziploc bags, canning jars . ..
  5. Kindle free books are out there all the time (another book).  Kindle often has books free for a day and then back to normal price.  I “bought” both of these books and then they sit on the Kindle until I have time.
  6. Plan and make meals for the freezer.  I make meals out of clearance or 50% off items–lasagna and apple sauce are two things that I try to have on hand.  Having one meal a week come out of the freezer–I find that hugely helpful.
  7. Learn what you can cook from scratch–do you have a bread machine “somewhere”, make beans and then freeze them for soups or dips, homemade popsicles–I asked myself what items do we plow through that I could make?  Cookies, muffins, cupcakes–freeze them and then frost them when they thaw (but I love frozen cake and frozen chocolate . . . my dentist already knows–he has had to do a few fix it jobs).
  8. Hang your clothes out to dry and then fluff them at the end.  I do this year round.
  9. Think about your cleaning supplies and then try baking soda, vinegar, homemade laundry detergent and see how much you save.  I’ve tried to be more natural in my cleaning but I still love my bleach!  Not gonna lie–nothing smells cleaner.
  10. Think about buying in bulk for meat and joining a CSA–community supported agriculture.

Thanks so much for letting me slide on those last posts.  I’m sure I will add my stories as this blog evolves and I talk more about eating with whole foods and how I grew up on a farm.

Be Blessed.

I’m linking up with these wonderful blogs–thanks so much!

Week 4/8 $aving Money

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Finding surprise deals are exciting!  I love getting a great deal that I didn’t expect.  Do you know where to find the deals in the store you shop in most?

Assignment for week #4:

1)  Find out where the clearance bins are at the store you shop.  For me I rarely go anywhere other than Dominicks and Target.

At Target the clearance items are all of the store.  That makes it sort of tricky to stay on a budget.  I always check out the meat department–they often have $2.00 coupons on Laura’s Beef and the Bare Chicken products.

At Dominicks the refrigerated items are in the middle cooler in front of the milk case.  There are also items at the endcaps between eggs and cookie dough.  The items for health and beauty are on the shelf.  Often times organic milk, eggs, cheese and yogurt are 50% off.  We eat a lot of eggs!  When you can combine a coupon with these items it like hitting a mini jackpot–but it all adds up.

2)  Plan ahead:  So many things come up in regards to school and I like to plan ahead for those items as much as possible.  The schools send home a list of school supplies for the beginning of the year and I like to get more wipes and tissues when they go on sale so I can be sure to have some on hand.

I also think about what the kids might need for the school year–a red shirt for Valentines day, Shamrock shirt, Halloween . . . I want my kids to look cute, celebrate the season and have fun but I don’t want to pay full price for such an unnecessary item.

If you aren’t sure about what might be coming up ask another parent in the grade above to see if they have any words of wisdom on what might be needed.

3)  There are trends in finding deals. This is one of many websites that offer information on when to save http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/01/07/the-best-time-to-buy-almost-everything/.

There will always be a deal.  I need to keep reminding myself that  the deal on wrapping paper will be there next year.  My Mom never gave away a gift bag and 10 years after she has died I’m joyfully using those gift bags.  I’ve promised myself that I will keep my shopping in check!

As you think about  these ideas to help plan ahead be mindful of when you have spent too much and how you might avoid falling into that scenario again.

I keep a shopping list on the fridge to keep track of items that we absolutely need for the next week and I have a list of what we are getting low on–that system along helps me not pay full price this is not foolproof–I still run out of milk, toilet paper and other necessities.  Life happens even when you do plan.

My next post in this series will be how seasonal produce and your freezer can help you plan ahead and save.

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Week 1/8 Getting Started Saving w/Coupons

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People as me lots of questions when they see me using coupons–most come from the people behind me in line.

I’ve been saving money using coupons since 1994.  As life would change so would my “need” or “desire” to use coupons.  Until recently, I did not have a system in place and it was very hit or miss.  I saw the Coupon Mom on Oprah and that is when I started think about how I would make this work in my own life.
I had 4 kids under 5 and life sort of exploded on me.  I made small changes.  Very small changes.  I wanted to save more money by spending less, try being more green, and I lowered my expectations in the dining department.  I used my culinary training to run an extremely efficient kitchen and try and not waste a thing.  All of the changes that I have made have been part of a slow process because life is busy and I have allowed myself to be happy with the small accomplishments, over time all the small things have turned into a more organized approach to breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Fast forward to now.  My meals are extremely simple.  I have increased my “green-ness”, increased my awareness on where my food comes from, strive for a whole foods approach to eating and still find joy in feeding 6 hungry people every night.
Week 1 Assignment:
I will be using Dominicks as my example for the next 8 weeks.  It is the store nearest my home and most convenient for me.  If you don’t shop at Dominicks than you can easily transfer the “concept/ideas” to your own store.   I will share three managable ideas a week to help you get started with saving 45% and more each week.
1.  If you do not have a Dominicks card–please get one and register it online.  When you register it online you can then load coupons right onto your card!  When you shop regularly at the store they will offer you “personalized prices” which can include free items.
2.  Develop a budget.  You will need to know how much money you can spend on what you “need” and what you can “stockpile”.
3.  Develop a Menu Plan.  If you don’t know what you want to eat how can you shop the sales?
If you create a month of menu ideas it makes it much easier to compare what you will eat to the items on sale.  I use Google Calendar to plan my meals–the advantages for me is that I can see what days I’m super busy and plan accordingly.  If my kids are in speech therapy, soccer, chess club and have a project due the next day . . . it will be a very simple dinner.  We do not eat out–if we do that is planned into the budget and the menu.
I found that the easiest way to do this is make it a month long assignment.  I will add it to Week 2/8 of Getting Started Saving w/Coupons assignments.
This week at Dominicks if you spend $75 you will get a $10 coupon to use on your next order.  Please check the fine print–that does not include milk, juice and a few other things.  Your will need to use your Dominicks card, so go back to #1 if you need to.
This is post 1/8 and I’m also writing a weekly menu list based on the sale items each week.  At the end of this post you can subscribe by email if you would like to have them sent to you.