Don't miss it!
Tonight Dave Ramsey rolls out Town Hall for Hope! Be there!
FIVE IN THE POTTER'S HAND
Showing posts with label Finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finances. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Opting Out!
Have you heard about Town Hall for Hope?
My husband and I are going to attend at our church.
We are NOT participating in this recession!
My husband and I are going to attend at our church.
We are NOT participating in this recession!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Money Management Or Lack Thereof
WHAT?!?!?!?!
How is that the government can just throw money hither and yon? And I am expected to pay for their indulgences?
It's great for first-time homebuyers, but what about those who aren't sitting around with their hands out begging the government for money? What about those hard-working American families who pay their mortgage on time, don't have bills in arrears, are frugal and wise with their money, and CAN FOLLOW a budget? Do we get a "You've Been So Good With Your Money We Think You Should Be Rewarded" tax break? Nope.
Sigh. I am so glad that God's economy is not subject to our economy. And that He rewards those who are faithful stewards! But it is soooo annoying to me that banks that have been foolish are given a bailout, companies that should go under are given a life preserver worth millions of dollars and now first time homebuyers are given a credit that I am going to have to end up paying for eventually. I wish we could elect officials that know how to manage money wisely.
Okay, I am done venting.
How is that the government can just throw money hither and yon? And I am expected to pay for their indulgences?
It's great for first-time homebuyers, but what about those who aren't sitting around with their hands out begging the government for money? What about those hard-working American families who pay their mortgage on time, don't have bills in arrears, are frugal and wise with their money, and CAN FOLLOW a budget? Do we get a "You've Been So Good With Your Money We Think You Should Be Rewarded" tax break? Nope.
Sigh. I am so glad that God's economy is not subject to our economy. And that He rewards those who are faithful stewards! But it is soooo annoying to me that banks that have been foolish are given a bailout, companies that should go under are given a life preserver worth millions of dollars and now first time homebuyers are given a credit that I am going to have to end up paying for eventually. I wish we could elect officials that know how to manage money wisely.
Okay, I am done venting.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Show Me The Meat!
Just took all three of the kids, plus Grandma (thank God!) and went to Safeway. There was an unadvertised meat sale going on! So here is what we got:
Beef Bottom Round Roast 2.56 lbs NORMALLY $11.49 ($4.49/ lb) ON SALE FOR $1.99/lb which means I got it for $5.09!
And I got another roast that would have been $12.53 but I got it for $5.55!
Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage was BOGO and I had a $1 manufacturer's coupon! Two for $2.99 (less than the price of one: $3.99)
All total, I spent $14.63 on loads of meat...I love Safeway!
I saved 51% off of the total bill by shopping the sales and using my manufacturer's coupons.
I LOVE SAVING MONEY!!!!
And tonight, I put one of those slabs of premium beef (Rancher's Reserve) in my crockpot and let it cook. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth roast...effortless! Throw a package of onion soup mix (mine was generic) and a side of mashed potatoes...yummm!
Beef Bottom Round Roast 2.56 lbs NORMALLY $11.49 ($4.49/ lb) ON SALE FOR $1.99/lb which means I got it for $5.09!
And I got another roast that would have been $12.53 but I got it for $5.55!
Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage was BOGO and I had a $1 manufacturer's coupon! Two for $2.99 (less than the price of one: $3.99)
All total, I spent $14.63 on loads of meat...I love Safeway!
I saved 51% off of the total bill by shopping the sales and using my manufacturer's coupons.
I LOVE SAVING MONEY!!!!
And tonight, I put one of those slabs of premium beef (Rancher's Reserve) in my crockpot and let it cook. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth roast...effortless! Throw a package of onion soup mix (mine was generic) and a side of mashed potatoes...yummm!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
How I Do It...
After my post yesterday, Gerberdaisie left me a couple of questions to answer:
That's great that you've reduced your grocery bill! We've reduced ours a bunch, mainly out of necessity with life changes :) Did you use coupons at all, or were you just more conscious with purchases?
And because I tend to ramble when I write, I thought it would be better to address the questions here rather than in a very long comment...lol!
First of all, at the beginning of this year we were spending roughly $700 on groceries for a family of five. Our daughter was born August of 2007, and I quit working my part-time job to be at home with our kids. That cut our income by $600 a month. I started looking for ways to economize and the only category that wasn't a fixed expense was groceries. So I basically made it my part-time job to see how much I could reduce our expenditures at the store.
I began by just being more conscious of what I was purchasing and how much we really needed it. After a month or two, I realized that we were buying a lot of pre-packaged, more expensive items. We decided to do away with foodstuffs that fit that category. Yes, we said goodbye to Minute Rice, chicken nuggets, pre-made juices, etc. And instead, we stocked up on rice in bulk, whole chickens (when on sale), and juices from concentrate. It was a small step in the right direction.
In May of this year, I discovered coupons. I read a couple of books on the subject, but my favorite by far was "Shop, Save and Share" by Ellie Kay. Check it out at your local library and take notes! She goes over basic couponing and more advanced transactions. Plus, she encourages you to give of your excess freebies. Giving to others is important even when you feel like you can't squeak it out of your tight budget. God blesses us because we are generous :)
So when I started couponing, our grocery bill went from $700 a month to $600 a month! That was just in the first month. Talk about motivating results! I just dutifully followed what Ellie wrote in her book and it works! When I first began couponing, I was skeptical that I wouldn't just be wasting my time. Because it is time and energy spent (not to mention braincells!) to line up good deals and do price comparisons. But after tallying up the receipts for the month, I was a believer! In just using coupons and shopping the store sales, I saved $342.85 (off of the regular prices) for the month!
Last month and this month, our budget was so tight that we couldn't justify spending the extra $3 on two papers. So we have gone without coupons for about two months now. I utilized the FoodDay coupons that come free every week. And I let those flyers guide me to great sales on meat and poultry.
But it wasn't until recently, when we really tightened up the budget, that I realized we could lower the grocery budget even more. It's amazing what necessity can motivate you to do...lol!
I realized having a meal plan and working that plan would save me money too. That part of it, I am still working the bugs out of! Maybe in a couple of months I will be able to declare victory in that area too.
Our meals are not gourmet. We do a lot of meatless meals too. And, like this particular paycheck cycle, wherein I only have $15 to last me two weeks, you get really creative with your meals!
It is really the grace of God that it all works so well. I give Him all the credit, because in reality it shouldn't work. The numbers don't add up. But we are faithful tithers and givers, and He blesses our obedience! He is our Source, and we are dependent on Him for our provision.
Recently, a friend who gets the paper every week, brought me all of her unused coupons. So now, I am going to get back into couponing! I will use the coupons to buy stuff we couldn't normally afford.
My advice Gerberdaisie, is this:
1) Pray for wisdom and good deals before you go shopping.
2) Shop with a list and take cash--you are more aware of the amount you are spending if you are having to count it out to the clerk!
3) Stick to the list--make sure that the items on your list are the absolute necessiites.
4) Don't go shopping with small children in tow--I love my kids, but they distract me from adding up savings and totals. On the few occasions where I have taken them, I have almost always wound up at home realizing I was overcharged for something.
5) Shop at your peak time. What I mean is, go shopping when you are the most alert, which may not necessarily coincide with the less busy hours of the store. :(
6) Have your coupons well organized! You don't have to buy any expensive holders, make do with what you have! I used a Rubbermaid container and put a piece of cardboard in the middle of it to act as a divider. On one side I have envelopes with little letter tags on them: A-Z. The other side is where I keep my calculator and pens. What works for me is filing coupons according to the brand name. Lysol would go in the 'L' envelope. Some people swear by filing according to categories. I don't have enough functioning braincells to remember if I filed the Comet Cleaner under 'C' for cleaners or 'B' for bathroom! Make it easy on yourself :)
7) Watch the individual totals as they are being rung up. Make sure that you are getting those store deals! This is why you don't go shopping with kids. It is physically impossible to keep your eyes on two different things: the cash register totals or your children who are in the process of rearranging the candy!
8) If you find an error, be polite and kind. People are more willing to help you out if you are nice :)
9) Use manufacturers coupons and store coupons together to get the best deals. This is perfectly legal and you can really score at the register with this tactic.
10) Don't forget to price shop according to quantity as well. Sometimes the advertised deals aren't the best.
11) Take advantage of the loss leaders, but don't let the store take advantage of you! Stick to your list!
12) Shop at several different stores. Yes, it is a pain, but this is how I started to realize most of my savings!
13) Keep your mission uppermost in your mind. What is that drives you other than the money? For me, the reason I do all this work is so that I can stay at home and raise our children. This is my mission. What is yours?
I hope that helps you a little!
You can take a look at these for some more ideas:
How addictive couponing is
No more drive-thru denial
How my friend does it!
Here are some great sites that I frequent as well:
Money Saving Mom
Grocery Cart Challenge
That's great that you've reduced your grocery bill! We've reduced ours a bunch, mainly out of necessity with life changes :) Did you use coupons at all, or were you just more conscious with purchases?
And because I tend to ramble when I write, I thought it would be better to address the questions here rather than in a very long comment...lol!
First of all, at the beginning of this year we were spending roughly $700 on groceries for a family of five. Our daughter was born August of 2007, and I quit working my part-time job to be at home with our kids. That cut our income by $600 a month. I started looking for ways to economize and the only category that wasn't a fixed expense was groceries. So I basically made it my part-time job to see how much I could reduce our expenditures at the store.
I began by just being more conscious of what I was purchasing and how much we really needed it. After a month or two, I realized that we were buying a lot of pre-packaged, more expensive items. We decided to do away with foodstuffs that fit that category. Yes, we said goodbye to Minute Rice, chicken nuggets, pre-made juices, etc. And instead, we stocked up on rice in bulk, whole chickens (when on sale), and juices from concentrate. It was a small step in the right direction.
In May of this year, I discovered coupons. I read a couple of books on the subject, but my favorite by far was "Shop, Save and Share" by Ellie Kay. Check it out at your local library and take notes! She goes over basic couponing and more advanced transactions. Plus, she encourages you to give of your excess freebies. Giving to others is important even when you feel like you can't squeak it out of your tight budget. God blesses us because we are generous :)
So when I started couponing, our grocery bill went from $700 a month to $600 a month! That was just in the first month. Talk about motivating results! I just dutifully followed what Ellie wrote in her book and it works! When I first began couponing, I was skeptical that I wouldn't just be wasting my time. Because it is time and energy spent (not to mention braincells!) to line up good deals and do price comparisons. But after tallying up the receipts for the month, I was a believer! In just using coupons and shopping the store sales, I saved $342.85 (off of the regular prices) for the month!
Last month and this month, our budget was so tight that we couldn't justify spending the extra $3 on two papers. So we have gone without coupons for about two months now. I utilized the FoodDay coupons that come free every week. And I let those flyers guide me to great sales on meat and poultry.
But it wasn't until recently, when we really tightened up the budget, that I realized we could lower the grocery budget even more. It's amazing what necessity can motivate you to do...lol!
I realized having a meal plan and working that plan would save me money too. That part of it, I am still working the bugs out of! Maybe in a couple of months I will be able to declare victory in that area too.
Our meals are not gourmet. We do a lot of meatless meals too. And, like this particular paycheck cycle, wherein I only have $15 to last me two weeks, you get really creative with your meals!
It is really the grace of God that it all works so well. I give Him all the credit, because in reality it shouldn't work. The numbers don't add up. But we are faithful tithers and givers, and He blesses our obedience! He is our Source, and we are dependent on Him for our provision.
Recently, a friend who gets the paper every week, brought me all of her unused coupons. So now, I am going to get back into couponing! I will use the coupons to buy stuff we couldn't normally afford.
My advice Gerberdaisie, is this:
1) Pray for wisdom and good deals before you go shopping.
2) Shop with a list and take cash--you are more aware of the amount you are spending if you are having to count it out to the clerk!
3) Stick to the list--make sure that the items on your list are the absolute necessiites.
4) Don't go shopping with small children in tow--I love my kids, but they distract me from adding up savings and totals. On the few occasions where I have taken them, I have almost always wound up at home realizing I was overcharged for something.
5) Shop at your peak time. What I mean is, go shopping when you are the most alert, which may not necessarily coincide with the less busy hours of the store. :(
6) Have your coupons well organized! You don't have to buy any expensive holders, make do with what you have! I used a Rubbermaid container and put a piece of cardboard in the middle of it to act as a divider. On one side I have envelopes with little letter tags on them: A-Z. The other side is where I keep my calculator and pens. What works for me is filing coupons according to the brand name. Lysol would go in the 'L' envelope. Some people swear by filing according to categories. I don't have enough functioning braincells to remember if I filed the Comet Cleaner under 'C' for cleaners or 'B' for bathroom! Make it easy on yourself :)
7) Watch the individual totals as they are being rung up. Make sure that you are getting those store deals! This is why you don't go shopping with kids. It is physically impossible to keep your eyes on two different things: the cash register totals or your children who are in the process of rearranging the candy!
8) If you find an error, be polite and kind. People are more willing to help you out if you are nice :)
9) Use manufacturers coupons and store coupons together to get the best deals. This is perfectly legal and you can really score at the register with this tactic.
10) Don't forget to price shop according to quantity as well. Sometimes the advertised deals aren't the best.
11) Take advantage of the loss leaders, but don't let the store take advantage of you! Stick to your list!
12) Shop at several different stores. Yes, it is a pain, but this is how I started to realize most of my savings!
13) Keep your mission uppermost in your mind. What is that drives you other than the money? For me, the reason I do all this work is so that I can stay at home and raise our children. This is my mission. What is yours?
I hope that helps you a little!
You can take a look at these for some more ideas:
How addictive couponing is
No more drive-thru denial
How my friend does it!
Here are some great sites that I frequent as well:
Money Saving Mom
Grocery Cart Challenge
Friday, October 3, 2008
Diligence...
Proverbs 21:5
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."
"Diligence is discipline, over time, with excellence."
Dave Ramsey
Do you have a plan?
We are currently working on Step #1...because when I had my wisdom teeth extracted, that wiped out our emergency fund. Current amount saved: $15. Only $985 to go!
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."
"Diligence is discipline, over time, with excellence."
Dave Ramsey
Do you have a plan?
We are currently working on Step #1...because when I had my wisdom teeth extracted, that wiped out our emergency fund. Current amount saved: $15. Only $985 to go!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hey You Wanna Loan Me $700 Billion?
Yes, that sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Yet, that is in essence what our government is asking us to do with this $700 BILLION bail out that is proposed.
Now, I normally leave financial stuff alone because it really confuses me. I stick to my budget and balance my checkbook and that is about as complicated as my finances get. However, when I am being told that big companies (who have not been balancing their checkbooks or sticking to a budget) need my money (to the tune of seven hundred billion---yes you read that right, b-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars) to bail them out, I stand up and take notice.
Oh sure, the government tells us that it's going to keep these big companies from going under. Aren't we supposed to carry every one else's burdens in this great country of ours? Personally, I don't think I should be expected to foot the bill for some CEO's lack of common sense. Let the big companies crumble, I say. But then in my wise mother's words, "Sounds like a personal problem to me!" (In other words, it is their problem personally) I am not of the persuasion that our economy is heading into a recession, and so what if it does? Perhaps I am a bit too straightforward to some people's liking, but it's my opinion.
If you want to learn about an alternative that won't end up costing you BILLIONS of dollars, go here and be sure to tell your congressman how you feel about footing the bill for someone else's stupidity!
Not paying for someone else's mistake, it's what works for me!
Now, I normally leave financial stuff alone because it really confuses me. I stick to my budget and balance my checkbook and that is about as complicated as my finances get. However, when I am being told that big companies (who have not been balancing their checkbooks or sticking to a budget) need my money (to the tune of seven hundred billion---yes you read that right, b-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars) to bail them out, I stand up and take notice.
Oh sure, the government tells us that it's going to keep these big companies from going under. Aren't we supposed to carry every one else's burdens in this great country of ours? Personally, I don't think I should be expected to foot the bill for some CEO's lack of common sense. Let the big companies crumble, I say. But then in my wise mother's words, "Sounds like a personal problem to me!" (In other words, it is their problem personally) I am not of the persuasion that our economy is heading into a recession, and so what if it does? Perhaps I am a bit too straightforward to some people's liking, but it's my opinion.
If you want to learn about an alternative that won't end up costing you BILLIONS of dollars, go here and be sure to tell your congressman how you feel about footing the bill for someone else's stupidity!
Not paying for someone else's mistake, it's what works for me!
How Low Can You Go?
Here in the FITPH household, we are taking a refresher course on Financial Peace. This week's focus is on cash flow planning, aka budgeting. In Financial Peace University, Dave advocates a zero based budget. I had to chuckle to myself as I reread that as our current budget goes below zero, if you know what I mean!
So, in an fit of curiosity, I decided to see how much we were in the negative each month. I re-examined our income, which has increased--Thank You Lord---due to a recent raise my husband received. I looked through our expenses and decided the only two places to cut back were groceries and gas. Everything else is a fixed expense, such as utilities and the mortgage.
In an effort to be thorough, I went through our food expenses for the whole year. (I have been keeping all the receipts for the month and then tallying them up into different categories. It is a super easy way to keep a detailed record of your expenditures!) At the beginning of the year, our food expenses hovered around $700/ month for a family of five. It was in the beginning that I first began to realize we were spending way too much on groceries. So my goal became $500/ month. I cut coupons, shopped the sales and by May managed to bring total food expenses down to $535.
However, the past couple of months have been really tight so I have not been able to buy a paper and take advantage of the coupons. I had been procrastinating on tallying up August's receipts because I was afraid of what I would find. Slowly I entered in the numbers. Cringing as it climbed past $100...sweating as it reached $200 and then I ran out of receipts! I checked to make sure there weren't any more lurking on my desk...nope...the total for August groceries was $269! I couldn't believe my eyes so I ran the numbers again, and then again. It was correct.
I plugged my grocery total into my new budget and found that if I cut back groceries to $200/month for our family, that our budget would be in the positive and not the negative! God is so faithful to bless what we give to Him!
So I am excited to try out my new zero based budget! I try to think of it as a challenge rather than an obligation.
So how low can you go? :)
So, in an fit of curiosity, I decided to see how much we were in the negative each month. I re-examined our income, which has increased--Thank You Lord---due to a recent raise my husband received. I looked through our expenses and decided the only two places to cut back were groceries and gas. Everything else is a fixed expense, such as utilities and the mortgage.
In an effort to be thorough, I went through our food expenses for the whole year. (I have been keeping all the receipts for the month and then tallying them up into different categories. It is a super easy way to keep a detailed record of your expenditures!) At the beginning of the year, our food expenses hovered around $700/ month for a family of five. It was in the beginning that I first began to realize we were spending way too much on groceries. So my goal became $500/ month. I cut coupons, shopped the sales and by May managed to bring total food expenses down to $535.
However, the past couple of months have been really tight so I have not been able to buy a paper and take advantage of the coupons. I had been procrastinating on tallying up August's receipts because I was afraid of what I would find. Slowly I entered in the numbers. Cringing as it climbed past $100...sweating as it reached $200 and then I ran out of receipts! I checked to make sure there weren't any more lurking on my desk...nope...the total for August groceries was $269! I couldn't believe my eyes so I ran the numbers again, and then again. It was correct.
I plugged my grocery total into my new budget and found that if I cut back groceries to $200/month for our family, that our budget would be in the positive and not the negative! God is so faithful to bless what we give to Him!
So I am excited to try out my new zero based budget! I try to think of it as a challenge rather than an obligation.
So how low can you go? :)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Avoiding Those Arches, Bells and Crowns...
While reading about Jennifer's impulse splurge I thought about the answer to her query. What places do we avoid now that we have reduced income and are committed to getting out of debt?
Fast food restaurants, or restaurants in general for that matter!
I can recall RARE times where we have had someone that could watch the kids for us and we could go to a sit down dinner in a nice restaurant. Inevitably, the food would be mediocre and overpriced and there would always be a nice big helping of guilt and eater's regret on the side. We might as well have been sauteeing our dollar bills and chopping up our change. After our last dining fiasco, Mr. Querido and I agreed that restaurants are overrated and we would prefer a luxurious dinner at home where there is no side of regret served for dessert.
So this got me thinking about how much we might have spent in one year on eating out. I decided to tally up what we have spent so far this year, average it and then multiply it by twelve for an approximation on what we might have spent.
Average workday expenditure on eating out: $4.61
Average weekly expenditure on eating out: $23.06
Average monthly expenditure on eating out: $92.25! (Holey Guacamole!)
Average yearly expenditure on eating out: $1107.00...ouch that really hurts...
Now keep in mind that we have been on a serious budget since I stopped working after Miss Precious was born...ten months ago. Before that, eating out was a regular event. Especially because I was often too tired from working to actually put a meal together. So I think we could have easily spent more like $2000.00 a year on eating out.
And let's not forget what kind of places we dined at.. "have it your way" on the way to the poorhouse King, gourmet Mexican cuisine that has "you running to the border" from your creditors, and the all American burger joint open late-night so you can snack your way into bankruptcy at 1 am.
Convenience isn't so convenient when you realize that your checkbook is hemorrhaging at the drive-thru window!
Now, Mr. Querido and I make sure that the kids have something to snack on in the car, a bottle of water for thirst and we happily breeze by those golden arches.
***I should mention that no, we are not on our way to the poorhouse or bankruptcy God has provided well for us and we are blessed!***
Fast food restaurants, or restaurants in general for that matter!
I can recall RARE times where we have had someone that could watch the kids for us and we could go to a sit down dinner in a nice restaurant. Inevitably, the food would be mediocre and overpriced and there would always be a nice big helping of guilt and eater's regret on the side. We might as well have been sauteeing our dollar bills and chopping up our change. After our last dining fiasco, Mr. Querido and I agreed that restaurants are overrated and we would prefer a luxurious dinner at home where there is no side of regret served for dessert.
So this got me thinking about how much we might have spent in one year on eating out. I decided to tally up what we have spent so far this year, average it and then multiply it by twelve for an approximation on what we might have spent.
Average workday expenditure on eating out: $4.61
Average weekly expenditure on eating out: $23.06
Average monthly expenditure on eating out: $92.25! (Holey Guacamole!)
Average yearly expenditure on eating out: $1107.00...ouch that really hurts...
Now keep in mind that we have been on a serious budget since I stopped working after Miss Precious was born...ten months ago. Before that, eating out was a regular event. Especially because I was often too tired from working to actually put a meal together. So I think we could have easily spent more like $2000.00 a year on eating out.
And let's not forget what kind of places we dined at.. "have it your way" on the way to the poorhouse King, gourmet Mexican cuisine that has "you running to the border" from your creditors, and the all American burger joint open late-night so you can snack your way into bankruptcy at 1 am.
Convenience isn't so convenient when you realize that your checkbook is hemorrhaging at the drive-thru window!
Now, Mr. Querido and I make sure that the kids have something to snack on in the car, a bottle of water for thirst and we happily breeze by those golden arches.
***I should mention that no, we are not on our way to the poorhouse or bankruptcy God has provided well for us and we are blessed!***
Friday, May 9, 2008
Thoughts on Budgeting
I finally got around to tallying our expenditures for April. Here are the numbers for the food:
$535.13 total spent for food
$93.10 total spent EATING OUT (yikes!)
$31.87 total spent on baby items (i.e. DIAPERS)
So I did not achieve my goal for April's food budget. But I only lost by $35.13, which compared to previous months expenses, isn't a lot. I am pretty proud of that number actually!
But here comes the exciting part...(drumroll please)..by shopping the sales and clipping coupons, I saved us $146.81 last month! Wooo-hooooo! And we didn't starve or have to eat junk.
My best couponing deal yet has to be the Coffeemate Creamers and two newspapers I got for a total of $4! Here is how it breaks down:
Coffeemate Creamer 2/$6 store coupon
Two manufacturer's coupons $1 off
At register coupon for $3 off any purchase
Two newspapers for $3 total
GRAND TOTAL OUT OF POCKET SPENT for 4 items...FOUR DOLLARS!!!
Actual amount that I would have spent without coupons?
$11.58
Feeling of satisfaction...PRICELESS! :)
I wasn't sure after beginning this quest for coupons and savings, that spending $1.50 a week on the Sunday paper would be worth it. After two weeks I decided I would buy two papers instead of just one. Those papers have continued to pay for themselves and then some!
Be warned, couponing is addictive and very habit forming. You will find that your eyes are drawn to sale flyers, tags and tickets. You will discover that you are scanning the aisles at the store for catalina coupons. You will find yourself scouring the milk for the neon orange dairy coupons. And last but not least, your kids will be begging you to let them cut out coupons. Which of course you encourage, just not on the ones you will actually use...lol!
I just roughly estimated that if I were being paid to coupon, I would have made approximately $12.23/ hour. Not bad!
$535.13 total spent for food
$93.10 total spent EATING OUT (yikes!)
$31.87 total spent on baby items (i.e. DIAPERS)
So I did not achieve my goal for April's food budget. But I only lost by $35.13, which compared to previous months expenses, isn't a lot. I am pretty proud of that number actually!
But here comes the exciting part...(drumroll please)..by shopping the sales and clipping coupons, I saved us $146.81 last month! Wooo-hooooo! And we didn't starve or have to eat junk.
My best couponing deal yet has to be the Coffeemate Creamers and two newspapers I got for a total of $4! Here is how it breaks down:
Coffeemate Creamer 2/$6 store coupon
Two manufacturer's coupons $1 off
At register coupon for $3 off any purchase
Two newspapers for $3 total
GRAND TOTAL OUT OF POCKET SPENT for 4 items...FOUR DOLLARS!!!
Actual amount that I would have spent without coupons?
$11.58
Feeling of satisfaction...PRICELESS! :)
I wasn't sure after beginning this quest for coupons and savings, that spending $1.50 a week on the Sunday paper would be worth it. After two weeks I decided I would buy two papers instead of just one. Those papers have continued to pay for themselves and then some!
Be warned, couponing is addictive and very habit forming. You will find that your eyes are drawn to sale flyers, tags and tickets. You will discover that you are scanning the aisles at the store for catalina coupons. You will find yourself scouring the milk for the neon orange dairy coupons. And last but not least, your kids will be begging you to let them cut out coupons. Which of course you encourage, just not on the ones you will actually use...lol!
I just roughly estimated that if I were being paid to coupon, I would have made approximately $12.23/ hour. Not bad!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
SUPER SATURDAY SAVINGS...Adrenaline Rush!!!
I decided to begin my coupon adventure at Rite-Aid. On a gloriously sunny day, I officially became a member of the coupon junkies..with the kids and hubby in tow!
Here is what I purchased:
2 Clairol Natural Instincts
Regular price: $7.99
Sale price: $5.99
Manufacturer's coupon: BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
Two for $5.99...LESS THAN THE PRICE OF ONE!!!!!
Whoo-hoo!!!
2 Airwick Decosphere
Regular price: $3.99
Sale price: $2.49
2 Manufacturer's coupon: $1.50 off each
Single Check Rebate: $1
Two for $1.98 plus the $2 rebate = $0.02 overage!
2 Purex 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent
Regular price: $5.99
Sale price: 2/$5.00
2 Manufacturer's coupon: $1.00
Two for $3.00
Softsoap SPA Exfoliating Bodywash
Regular price: $4.49
Manufacturer's coupon: $1.00
One bodywash for $3.49
(As I looked back over everything, I realized that I should have gotten this for $2.99 and then it would have only been $1.99. Sigh, oh well, learning curve.)
Oh and we also purchased these...
(From left to right: Mr. Dramatic, Mr. Independent, Mr. Querido and Miss Precious)
My husband got his sunglasses for $15.99 and they had a BOGO! Two sunglasses for the price of one! Our sons needed sunglasses too, so we spent $5.99 each. Our Miss Precious was just wearing an old pair of her brother's sunglasses for the photo...lol!
The BOGO offer was printed on a small yellow sticky on the sunglasses rack. So, a sharp eye can save you some money! On the buy one get one free offer the fine print said ANY pair of sunglasses, so I tried to get one of the boys' for free. But the checker said that it was only valid on that particular brand of adult sunglasses. Funny though, the kids' shades would have cost the store less than another pair of the adults...
All tallied, we spent $42.43
Everything without sales would have cost: $86.99!
With sales but without coupons: $58.42
BUT WE SAVED $31.98 WITH COUPONS!!!!!!!!!!
Hello, my name is Mrs. Q and I am addicted to coupons...
Check out moneysavingmom.com for more Super Saturday Savings! (Sorry, my linking isn't working right lately!)
Thursday, April 3, 2008
To Tithe or Not To Tithe...
While perusing the blogosphere, I was reading the comments in one blog and the topic was frugality. This commenter asked the question where does tithing fit into it all. Her other queries were do you tithe net or gross. I hopped over to the commenter's blog and answered those questions. But as I did, I thought it would be a great topic for my blog.
What is the tithe?
Tithe by definition is a tenth of your income. In Christianity, biblically based, a tithe is the first tenth portion of your income.
"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord." Lev. 27:30
"You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year." Deut. 14:22
"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse because you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,' says the Lord of hosts; 'And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,'says the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3:10-12
Mr. Querido and I believe that tithing means giving the ten percent off of the top. We tithe on our gross, not our net income. We write out the tithe check before we pay any other bills. This helps us to remember that God gets precedence in all areas, especially our finances. It is a tangible reminder that God is our Provider and we look to Him for our sustenance, not my husband's employer.
We also believe that God blesses us when we tithe. We find great sales, fabulous discounts, reduced rates and other price cuts in every area. He loves to bless His obedient children. We place ourselves in a position to receive those blessings when we are doing what He has told us to. He is not an arbitrary parent who makes up silly rules just to see if we will obey. No, His commandments are with our best interest at heart. There is always a reward for obedience. A good reward.
Our reward? I get to stay at home with my three children. I don't have to run a daycare out of my home (no offense to those women who can handle more kids than their own!), I don't have to sell anything to keep us afloat, I don't have a small side business at all. I am a full-time homemaker. My husband only has to work one job, with minimal overtime required. He just got a 67-cent raise last month. Our mortgage payment went down by $14.82 a month. We have been blessed with clothing handed down to our sons, who seem to be growing out of everything. We have money in savings and our checkbook balance hasn't gone negative. We are content with the blessings He has bestowed on us.
To tithe or not to tithe? "Can I afford to tithe?", you may ask.
But I ask you, "Can you afford not to?"
What is the tithe?
Tithe by definition is a tenth of your income. In Christianity, biblically based, a tithe is the first tenth portion of your income.
"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord." Lev. 27:30
"You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year." Deut. 14:22
"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse because you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,' says the Lord of hosts; 'And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,'says the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3:10-12
Mr. Querido and I believe that tithing means giving the ten percent off of the top. We tithe on our gross, not our net income. We write out the tithe check before we pay any other bills. This helps us to remember that God gets precedence in all areas, especially our finances. It is a tangible reminder that God is our Provider and we look to Him for our sustenance, not my husband's employer.
We also believe that God blesses us when we tithe. We find great sales, fabulous discounts, reduced rates and other price cuts in every area. He loves to bless His obedient children. We place ourselves in a position to receive those blessings when we are doing what He has told us to. He is not an arbitrary parent who makes up silly rules just to see if we will obey. No, His commandments are with our best interest at heart. There is always a reward for obedience. A good reward.
Our reward? I get to stay at home with my three children. I don't have to run a daycare out of my home (no offense to those women who can handle more kids than their own!), I don't have to sell anything to keep us afloat, I don't have a small side business at all. I am a full-time homemaker. My husband only has to work one job, with minimal overtime required. He just got a 67-cent raise last month. Our mortgage payment went down by $14.82 a month. We have been blessed with clothing handed down to our sons, who seem to be growing out of everything. We have money in savings and our checkbook balance hasn't gone negative. We are content with the blessings He has bestowed on us.
To tithe or not to tithe? "Can I afford to tithe?", you may ask.
But I ask you, "Can you afford not to?"
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