SAHM's savings blog

Saving money and energy

2010-02-24T08:31:00.002-06:00

I was going through our house last night adjusting this turning off that and I realized how many people forget to check faucets and such before bed. I usually do a walk through before leaving the house and before bed it takes like 2 minutes but I can't tell you how many times I have found a faucet dripping or a light on. I also realized since we got a programmable thermostat we use less energy too. Plus the house is warm in the morning and when we get home but goes down in temp when we aren't home. I also plugged all of my bedside stuff into a power strip and I turn it off when I get up. I don't need my lamp or my phone charger, or anything else when I am not in bed and I just use the 9v battery we take out of the smake alarm to power my alarm clock when it is unplugged so I am not constantly resetting it. more tips to follow

Notebooking aka price journal

2010-02-23T23:57:00.002-06:00

No I am not talking computers. I am talking about a small spiral notebook to keep prices in. When you are planning to go shopping write down what you use in categories meats, personal care, frozen, baking etc then write down how much things cost the next time you buy that item. Keep checking back and add price changes and the date so you know ok this item goes on sale every 12 weeks or maybe every 3 weeks and try to only buy when the price is at its lowest. Why pay $3.29 for an item you can get the next week for $2.49?

cleaning tips around the house

2010-02-23T23:39:00.002-06:00

ok so how much do you spend every year on cleaners? I used to spend about $300 or more between toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom cleaner,kitchen cleaner, etc etc so I realized how much I was wasting and simplified. So now I have bleach, vinegar, baking soda, and water.

Laundry-I use vinegar to deodorize clothing so that cuts how much detergent I use. I also put baking soda in the pretreat thing because besides eliminating odor it traps colors and it makes your detergent work better by naturally softening the water.

Windows- ok so when I had kids I started cleaning the back door more because the dog always looks out and gets nastiness on the window so I get a couple of pieces of newspaper and I use vinegar to clean the window. If it is really bad I make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub that off with a sponge, then clean with vinegar.

Drains- I pour boiling water down the drain 2-3 c then baking soda then vinegar. The vinegar and baking soda make a volcano looking concoction (with no fumes) and clean the drain. I do this 1-2x a month in the kitchen and 3-4x a year in the bathroom.

Toilet-sprinkle baking soda in the toilet brush then splash with vinegar and try to leave overnight or longer to also deodorize.

Kitchen- no matter what everyone says I still use bleach in the kitchen I know vinegar works well but I am just used to bleach. I never use full strength bleach though. I take a simple small spray bottle and put 2-3 tsp of bleach and fill with water. This lasts the day and at night I rinse the kitchen sinks out and spray them with the bleach. This mixture also works well on toys to sanitize them. Bleach actually works better diluted than full strength. Label the bottle well though. I clean the fridge out once a week and do a quick wipe of the shelves just in case anything nasty was dripped from thawing meat etc. that was missed.

check out other papers

2009-09-27T17:18:00.003-05:00

I was talking to family not too long ago that the major metropolitan areas seem to have better coupons. Even though some coupons are only good in your area ie restaurants, and local stores but P&G and other coupon inserts seem to have a lot more coupons than smaller cities. I am going to test this theory next weekend as we will be in St Louis and I will get back to you on how true this is.

Coffee

2009-09-05T21:44:00.002-05:00

You know how a lot of economists say that giving up your daily latte can save you over $1000 a year well thats true but if you really want that same taste and want to save money try not only making it at home but also see if your office would chip in for an upscale coffee maker (keurig,tassimo) for around $120-$150 and the individual serving insert for different coffees and everyone can have thier favorite coffee/tea/ hot beverage as most can even make a perfect cup of hot chocolate. Yes the refill can cost more but in the long run you still save $700-$800 a year and you can hve a cup of coffee in 1-2 min which is much quicker than waiting in a drive thru at Starbucks. Also some store brand coffees rate just as high taste wise as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee, in fact Archer Farms coffee just got a national award for taste and it beat starbucks.

Not all store brands are created equal

2009-09-05T21:29:00.003-05:00

The one true way to see if you are saving money is to see if you like the store brand of a certain product but not all store brands are the same. I personally can't stand the Walmart store brand of paper towels and toilet paper because they aren't worth the money if you use 3x as much. I tried the store brand from several places and I Love the up and up brand (formerly target brand) of toilet paper and paper towels. We occasionally still buy quilted northern if I have a good coupon, or coupons, and it is on sale and my family can't tell the difference. The same with paper towels. We did start getting the select a size and when we do use paper towels we use a lot less. We only go through about 1 roll a week now since we got a bunch of cheap white washcloths and we use those for most things. They are cheap and we just add them to our regular load of whites.
Food wise store brands are definately not created equal. I have tried Walmart coffee and Market Pantry (Target) coffee and I would much rather drink MP coffee any day. I don't care for Market Pantry chips though but you just need to try different products and getting the store brand when you are out of something and it isn't on sale can save quite a bit.
One important note especially if you shop around at different stores keep a journal of what products you like and ones you don't so you don't buy Walmart TP and your family complains until you run out.

Organizing your coupons

2009-08-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

There are several ways to organize your coupons and most people swear by whatever method they choose but I think each type of organizing has it's advantages and disadvantages.
1- The coupon file this can be an inexpensive organizer with 7 pockets up to an 15 pocket folder and they also come in various sizes. Most cost between $1 and $5. I have a few organizers so I not only have more pockets but I also don't have to take restaurant coupons to the grocery store. The major advantage to this system is it is small and potable so you are more likely to carry your coupons with you all the time. I divide my pockets by aisles/sections found in most stores, ie frozen foods, baking, refrigerated etc. Some people divide by expiration date and yet others divide alphabetically. I would look at how you shop and what you think would work best for you.
I also have another organizer for restaurant coupons, specific non food stores ie Babies R Us and also receipts. I have 3 receipts pockets 1 to be filed , 1 for rebates and 1 for returns. I only clear this out when it gets really full since I can buy something and 2 weeks later need to return it. I also have Buy one get one and free coupons for fast food restaurants in a free pocket so if I am tight on money and my kids are hungry I have a few options.
2- Binders are the other organizing tool. People will buy a large binder and page protectors both full page and card sized to organize their coupons you can put printout coupons and multiple coupons per page in the full page and cut out as needed at the store and the rest put in card slots putting the one closest to expiration on top. You can then also sort by aisle, or alphabetically. The advantage for this is less cutting time.

No matter how you organize it won't be worth your time if you don't use coupons or if you don't get the most from them. More on that later.

Warehouse clubs

2009-08-10T16:56:00.002-05:00

Here's a few tips they are mostly either about WC in general or Sam's specifically since that is what we have here.
1- Don't buy what you won't use. Even if you see a 5 lb block of cheese for $1.50 a lb it isn't a good deal if you have to throw half of it away. There are some good home vacuum sealers out there and you can get a cheap one made by Ziploc with special bags and a handheld device that takes the air out or invest in a tabletop vacuum sealer with rolls of plastic to cut for custom bags. Either way as soon as you get home or very soon after portion the items out and seal it up or else it will sit in your fridge for a month and waste away.
2- Hit the snack bar when you first get there. Where else can you get lunch or dinner for $3.00 or less and you also won't be as tempted to get the 5 lb box of cookies.
3- Get there early and check out the meats first. The meat dept takes all of the meat that is close to sell by dates and marks it down while getting ready to close so the earlier in the day the better chances you have of getting reduced for quick sale ground chuck or roasts at a discounted price and you just plan it into your menu for the week or freeze it after you get home.
4- stock up on essential items like toilet paper. What family doesn't go through a ton of TP?
5- Figure out where you are going to store everything. Under beds work for TP and trash bags but don't buy more stuff than your freezer can handle.
6- At Sam's check out the clearance section every store has one and you can find the last few of a seasonal item for up to 75% off. Look for a small C at the top right corner for clearance stuff.
7- make a friend that works there. I got 4 giant boxes of Quakes snacks for .75 a piece when we were upgrading our phones an employee told a phone person that they just put the sign up.
8- Use your membership to get discounts on travel, car buying and other services we all use. Look at the services or membership deals online.
9-Look for expensive items at your discount club. No one needs to know you got your coach bag for $200 less than what Dillard's is charging the same bags are sold by both places for majorly different prices.
10-Don't overlook store brands but ask around first or check out ratings online first so you aren't stuck with a huge amount of something you really don't like. But I actually like the Member's mark brand of wipes better than huggies or pampers wipes and they are $4 cheaper per box and come in pop up packs.

2009-08-09T15:29:00.001-05:00

When you get sunday papers buy 1 for every eating member of your family

What your budget allows

2009-08-08T20:36:00.003-05:00

I went to Walmart tonight for the first time in a long time and was looking at the stuff on clearance and I noticed something... most of the prices are similar to the sale prices at Dillard's, Macy's, Children's place and old navy. I think there are 5 types of people or 5 types of budget mindsets.
1- Thrift store budget $2 for an outfit is a common thing and they can't really afford much more
2-Walmart budget you buy everything else there so why not back to school clothes you spend about $12 per outfit on average
3-Mall stores/dept store budget- You want quality and expect to pay more for it. You spend about $25 an average per outfit.
4- Boutiques- You care alot about the labels and brands so you might even spend $50 on a changing pad for your baby if it is Baby Phat or some other recognizable designer brand
5-You look at prices and plan ahead on sizes and you shop everywhere.
I am one of those people. I have gotten a Ralph Lauren sweatsuit for my daughter for $13 and a DKNY dress for $15 and other kids were wearing dresses from Walmart that were $16.88. I am not trying to be a brand snob but most name brand clothes tend to last longer. I go into my usual resale shops and besides jeans you don't see any Walmart brand clothes. Clothes from Children's place and gymboree tend to last a while longer.
If you think you can't afford much always look at the sale stuff and more than likely you can get $2.99 shirts and $3.99 pants at dept stores and children's stores.

a few more basic savings tips

2009-08-08T10:07:00.002-05:00

Here's just a few more tips I use
*Look at your family schedule for the week or for the next 2 weeks if that's how often you go shopping and plan easy meals for those nights like crock pot meals or prepared entrees. If you don't have much time pizza is also quick and easy just get a premade crust add jarred sauce and cheese plus whatever toppings you like and in 5 min you have made a quick meal and it usually only has to bake another 10 which is enough time to check gear bags before the game or even just get everyone together.
*When making casseroles/ soups/or chili make 2-3 times what you normally make and freeze the leftovers as soon as it is cool or even just make a casserole in another pan for a reheat night. We did this for a week and didn't have to cook again the next week but you can just put 2-3 away a week and when you have a busy night just throw one in the oven or soup/chili in the microwave. This also works great for summer nights when you don't want to heat your house by cooking just use the microwave.
*Go for a little help and buy steam bags of veggies they cook right every time and they are super quick so even kids can help. My almost 4 year old will open the microwave and throw the bag in and push the preset button and she has helped with dinner. The added cost is nothing when you think of adding that to crockpot chicken for a meal at home versus eating takeout or even fast food
* Splurge every once in a while. Buy nice steaks or seafood because even if it seems expensive you can usually see you spend the same to feed a family of four a steak dinner in that it would be for 1-2 people to eat the same dinner out.
* frequent farm stands when you can. Usually they are cheaper and they are almost always better for you and they are better for the environment. Keeping the food local means less gas, less refrigeration, and fresher food.

Feeding 2 kids healthy food on a budget part 1

2009-08-07T22:33:00.002-05:00

I am amazed when I look and see how much we spend on food each month and then I look at the national average amount spent on food for a family of four and I am shocked that it is 2 1/2 times what we spend and here I am complaining. I know we live in a moderately priced area but still how can people spend more on food each month than their vehicle payments or utility bills. The average american family (from info I have found) spends roughly $400 a month on groceries. For us that would be all of our utilities and animal feed and about 1/2 of our gasoline. We eat at home more than eating out but I thought I would share a few tips we use to help lower our food budget.
1 Find a discount store near you. Most cities have one or two and you can find a LOT of good deals from stores that went out of business or bought too much or bought right before packaging was changed and the older stuff won't sell. We have gotten a 2 party tray TGIF spinich& artichoke dip for $2.50 and the smaller pack with just 1 party tray was at Target for $7.50. The expiration date was still 8 months away and we take that to parties.
2 Keep a list of what you normally have in your pantry and freezer and how much you like to keep on hand, which I did when checking the pantry for stuff for the food pantry, and get contact paper to laminate it and then use a grease pencil or dry erase marker to write how many I have and when we make dinner just change the #. When it is grocery time check to see what you have to get and what you will get if it is on sale. I check all the ads and if something is on sale I might even buy a few extras if it is something I use a lot.
3 Plan what you are going to eat. You don't have to plan what you will eat every night but look at what is on sale and think what can I make with that and what I have then make a list and when you get stuck for ideas look at the list. This will save you from running out to eat or takeout when food you make is cheaper and quicker.
4 Use coupons. If you are good you can match coupons and sales to save even more money. Watch for the best sales the last week before the coupons expire.
5 Check to see where you can use store coupons (SC) AND manufacturer coupons (MC). Target, & Babies r us (BRU) will take both for example I went to BRU and they had a buy 2 boxes of huggies and get a $15 gift card back. Then I added a $3 off MC for each box and a $4 off 2 boxes of Huggies SC so instead of paying $64.98 for 232 diapers I paid $54.98 AND got a $15 GC back to use for my next purchase which was more diapers so the next time I paid $44.98 and if it gets close to the card expiring and I don't need diapers I can always find a toy or wipes or something. I have also bought this deal put the diapers in the car and used coupons and gotten 2 $14 boxes of wipes for $9
6 Keep a running total. I round up even if something is $1.10 I round it to $2 so it evens out with tax. I also don't subtract coupons so it gives me an idea of what I save. I also get a subtotal before handing coupons over to show myself what I saved and I can say that the 15 min I spent clipping/sorting coupons saved $40 so it really was worth it.
7 Make sure you have your list with you and stick to it. Since I started carrying a list and keeping a running total I quickly noticed I wasn't buying as much.
8 If you run out of milk,bread etc and you run to get more DON'T GET A CART that almost automatically adds $50 to your total
9 This is actually both a money saving tip and a safety tip.. Don't put your baby carrier on top of the cart put it in the cart. According to the CPSC on average 21,000 children under 5 are injured each year from falling from shopping carts most are head injuries that can cause permanant brain damage. When you put your carrier car seat in the basket you don't have as much room so you can't buy as much so you spend less. See ya do 2 good things at once.

Clipping Coupons

2009-08-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

I was finally getting to go through my coupons from the past Sunday as it is getting close to payday and I will go shopping and I realized why most people hate clipping coupons....it takes forever with scissors. I use a cheap $.25 plastic ruler and push down while tearing the excess away. I have been doing this for a few years and still have the same pink ruler. So I decided I would share this handy tip. Also I watch tv and cut coupons and I cut them all out so i don't really have to pay attention and I just started a share box that I am going to take to church when I go through and pick out which coupons I use.