E-Article - 7 Radical Ways To Save Money

7 Radical Ways To Save Money by Jennifer Mulrean on MSN.com

I have no idea which Facebook post directed me to this article, but I at least wanted to share the article with you. I found the contents a bit of common sense and had a few "duh" moments when reading it. Of course I myself just reevaluated my family's budget this past week which caused me to bang my head against the wall a few times and quietly scolded myself about our recent run-a-way spending habit. I'm a firm believer that you need to reevaluate your budget every quarter just to make sure you're still on the track that you set yourself on in the first place...it's far to easy to jump track and live in the moment, forgetting about your goals.

So back to the article, Jennifer Mulrean quickly goes through seven steps to make money and/or keep money in your pocket. They are...

1. Hold the mother of all garage sales - get rid of all that stuff in your house the you don't need, haven't used in ages, and just plain don't want anymore. In my case since I can't stand hosting a typical garage sale it's to the baby/kid consignment stores and craigslist!
2. Quit smoking.
3. Tame your driving addiction - take public transportation, unfortunately in my case that wouldn't work too well. It takes hubby an hour to get home, to take the bus would add at least another 40-minutes to that the last time we took a look at the bus schedule. I'll take the expense rather than the missed family time. Metro Phoenix is getting on the bandwagon of more ways to get around the city, but until the metro-rail comes up the Glendale way, the hubby will be driving himself.
4. Buy used - the article mainly focuses on clothing, but buying gently used appliances (we love B&B Appliances!), baby items (Kid-to-Kid or Other Mothers), cars, etc. will save you a lot of money. Now for those of you who wrinkle your nose at buying used clothing, get over it and hit the local consignment shops and donation stores like Savers and Goodwill. I'd much rather pay no more than $4 for a pair of nice looking shorts or pants for my rapidly growing children than the $12+ retail.
5. Become a homebody - stop going out for your entertainment. Rent movies rather than going to the theater, eat at home rather than going out for dinner or calling in for take out, borrow books and audio from the library rather than purchasing them, etc.
6. Cut your housing expenses - physically moving to a cheaper part of town may work for some, but for others it's impractical. Instead they focus on renting a portion of your home to create income. Of course there are other ways to cut housing expenses too like doing your own landscape maintenance rather than having landscapers come out or find ways to lower your utility bills.
7. Cut up your credit cards - yeah, I don't think so. I can understand the reasoning behind this idea, but I myself feel much more comfortable knowing that I have a large amount of credit in my pocket for a just in case (like we need a new AC unit). However most families out there do carry a large chunk of credit card debt month to month and so I can see how cutting up the cards, or locking them up, would help those people stop blindly charging and whittling those balances down.

To read the full article yourself click on the link in the title of this page.

Grocery Savings 101 - Part Three

Where to look for coupons before going grocery shopping!

• Local Newspapers
• Online
• Other Print Materials
• Coupon Clubs

Coupons in Local Newspapers

It is said the majority of all coupons can be found in your local newspaper; tucked in the middle of the Sunday edition between the funny papers and the weekly store advertisements. Each week you will discover either a bumper crop of coupons or one little booklet (or none at all). Just as with everything else in the consumer world, coupons too have cycles.

Proctor and Gamble (P&G) comes out with a coupon booklet once a month, usually at the first of the month depending on what day Sunday falls on. There you can find coupons for your basic cleaning supplies and paper products. I find that these coupons are usually low value, but great when you redeem them at a retailer that is doubling or tripling their coupons, making that $0.25 coupon worth $0.50 to $0.75 off! The downside is that they expire within 3 -4 weeks, of course you'll find most of them again the next month.

There are also certain times of the year where coupons are more abundant in your local paper; upcoming holidays and major events like Back to School produce a higher number of coupons in your paper. When this happens it is almost always worth going out to get a few more newspapers just for the coupons. There have been weeks where I can clip $10 - $15 (or more) worth of coupons per paper knowing that I'll be using them relatively soon; that is where purchasing another Sunday edition is worth the additional $2 because I will still be saving so much money using the coupons in it.

Coupons can also be found within the pages of the newspaper itself. If you're not a paper reader normally, take a quick scan of each page just to make sure that you aren't missing any valuable coupons that are hiding amongst the pages. Same goes for all the weekly advertisements and magazines that are found in the center of the paper.

If you only look for coupons in your local paper, you can save quite a bit of money each month on your grocery bill. However you can double or triple your monthly savings by looking for coupons online as well.

Online Coupons

These days everything is online and coupons are no exceptions. There are three types of online coupons; printable coupons, e-coupons that get stored on your loyalty card, and coupon codes.

There are many places to find printable coupons on the Internet.

Web-sites like SmartSource.com, Coupons.com, and Shortcuts.com only require you to download their printing application before you can print off any of their coupons. The plus side here is that all you need to do is add yourself to their mailing list and then they send you an email every time there is a new batch of coupons on their site, usually every Tuesday.

Most grocery store web-sites also have a section on their web page devoted to coupons that you can print out (or load onto your loyalty card). They too tend to send you an email every time that they have new coupons on their web-site.

Manufacturer web-sites may also have a coupon page. For example BettyCrocker.com comes out with new coupons at the beginning of every month. The down side of looking for particular brand name or manufacturer coupons is that they can be hard to find on their websites or non-existent. Sometimes you need to sign up for their weekly/monthly newsletter in order to get access to coupons.

Don't despair if you can't find coupons for products that you usually use. In most cases you can go to the products web page and request coupons. Requests like these tend to be hit or miss, but if you are persistent and tell the manufacturer how much you enjoy their product, but need some assistance in the form of coupons to purchase their product - most times you'll get mailed a few. I've even gotten free trial sized products this way too!

Other Print Coupons

Coupons are printed everywhere, but most of them are missed because we are too involved with looking at the actual print material to realize that there is a money saving coupon that we can use. Money saving coupons can be found in magazines, junk mail inserts, and on the back of your grocery receipt. They can also be found on the product packaging materials (i.e. cereal boxes) either on the visible outer part of the packaging, inside the packaging, or as an additional insert within the packaging.

There are also coupon stands that can be found at some retailers (i.e. the car wash) that might have discounted coupons for not only the service industry but at grocery stores as well. In the past I have found coupons for our discounted bread store and our discounted grocery store.

Grocery stores also have coupon kiosks in nearly every aisle for coupons on a particular product. Even if you aren't going to purchase the product that has a coupon kiosk under it, grab a few coupons to use the next time you need to purchase it.

Some retailers mail their loyal customers coupon books every few months with store coupons. These coupons are fantastic because they usually are all store coupons which means that if you have (or can find) a manufacturer coupon for that same product, you can stack the coupons on a single product. Getting on their mailing list can be as easy as setting up a loyalty card with the retailer, signing up for a registry (i.e. by signing up for the baby registry at Target you will get not only their store coupon booklet, but their baby coupon booklet as well), or asking at customer service.

Coupon Clubs

Coupon clubs consist of people just like you who want to save as many pennies as they can on their grocery bill. You can start a coupon club at your office, amongst your friends or social group, or join an existing one. You don't necessarily have to stick with clubs in your area either, join a club in another state or across country and you'll get a whole new variety of coupons.

There are many ways you can set up your own coupon club, the main thing now is that you clip every coupon that you find in the Sunday paper and other resources so that you can share those with your fellow club members. For instance say that you don't color your hair, but other club members do. Rather than throwing out those coupons every month you can pass them along to the members who do use the product.

There are also coupon club web-sites out there that want you to pay a monthly or yearly fee. Some even let you purchase coupons (which is illegal) like CentsOff.com. I just let these pass by my radar. The most I'll pay for any coupon is the cost of a stamp to mail it.

For more information about starting your own coupon club read an article I found on about.com, Starting a Small Coupon Exchange Club.

* * *

So now that you know where to look for coupons, you just now have to start looking, clipping, and organizing them! It may sound like a daunting task to set up, but it really isn't and once you get in the habit of looking for and clipping coupons it'll just become second nature to you.

Magazine Article: 42 Ways To Cut Everyday Costs

42 Ways To Cut Everyday Costs by Celia Shatzman

Family Circle - August 2010

In this months Family Circle Magazine there is an article that I thought you might be interested in taking a look at. It gives you ideas and resource information for ways to save on buying online, couponing, gym memberships, insurance, home improvements, and more. To access the entire article online use the title link above.

Of course I immediately read the Coupons section of the article and here's what I found that's useful at the grocery store.

Commonkindness.com- a coupon website that makes donations to the charity of your choice (I started with St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance) each time you print off a coupon, up to three coupons.

• Perks: You are donating to worthy charities of your choice by printing off coupons that you would still be printing out on a different website. You can have as many charities as you want and choose which charities you're printing the coupon for, giving them the donation through Commonkindness.com. There are also coupons for local businesses, discount codes, magazine subscriptions, etc.
• Downside: You have to sign up and give some personal information like your name, birth date, and zip code.

Edeals.com - a coupon site for local businesses and much more. Think of it as your electronic junk mail coupon holder and more. (Note: I'm just looking at the printable coupon section of edeals.com; they have other coupon and savings options available.)

• Perks: You can search for coupons via zip code, finding coupons that you wouldn't normally get in the junk mail on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They also have a map option that you can drag and drop to any area in the Valley.
• Downside: I haven't seen one yet.
  

I just focused on the two sites above because they have the potential of lowering my grocery bill, which is what I always look for. However the entire article is a good read and give a lot of advice and website sources that you wouldn't otherwise think of. It's worth the few minutes to read it and who knows, you may find a valuable tidbit that will save you and your family money!

I love my...Gemini Range/Oven!

I've always wanted double-ovens in my kitchen and when we starting looking for a new home that was on the top of the priority list, double-ovens or space to add double-ovens. Then we found our house, it didn't currently have nor have space for double-ovens; however it already had a Gemini range which I never thought about before.

Now I would have never purchased the appliances that were in our house, they are just too space-aged for me with all the bells and whistles that I would never use or figure out how to use. The stove top on our range is ridiculous with just one big burner and three smaller ones. Two of those burners do connect together to make a big oval burner and until I got an oval pan, it was very annoying - now, not so much. However it's the ovens that after a year of using that I'm starting to have the warm, cozy feelings about about.

For those of you who do not know, a Gemini Range/Oven is a stand alone range with two ovens, the top oven being significantly smaller with only one rack and the bottom a full sized oven with two to three racks. I'm sure that most of the Gemini Range/Ovens out there have (or can have) a convection oven option like mine do (mine is for the bottom oven) that cooks food quicker using a circulation fan.

Now as I've said in previous posts and for those of you who know my idiosyncrasies, I have always put my oven on strike once it hits a 100-degrees outside and I don't consider using it until it is below 100-degrees for at least a few days in a row. This is why if I have had to have an oven on for some reason during the summer (and the NESCO wouldn't cut it), I would use our toaster oven since it is so much smaller, won't heat up the kitchen as much, and will cool off that much quicker. Now that I have a Gemini Range/Oven I've actually turned on the smaller oven a few times this summer (Gasp!). It may take a bit longer to cool off after using, but it's does the trick when you need a full cookie sheet of say....chicken pieces to cook. I no longer feel the need to split the chicken pieces into two cooking batches to use the toaster oven just to stay cooler at night.

I know that this will sound crazy to most of you, but I'm an Arizona native and I refuse to line the coffers of APS anymore than I have to. Also having to live on one income makes you come up with all sorts of creative ways to save money and not having an oven on during the summer makes a significant dent in our electric bill (I'm talking hundreds of dollars over the entire summer). I will still prescribe to my old way of thinking by not having the oven on during the summer, but I will also occasionally break that rule just because I now can have a small, full sized oven on without killing the AC unit (or my bill) that night!

Warehouse Clubs - Buyer Beware!

Warehouse Clubs like Costco and Sam's Club can save a family a lot of money each year and the membership pays for itself in most cases. However there are perils to navigate when shopping at these big warehouse clubs and if you are the type of person to give into temptation, well these clubs are looking for you!


The cold, unpersonable approach of warehouse clubs have become suburban fodder that most families these days crave. Buying in bulk is seen as a way to save lots of money and the smart thing to do. Yet this is usually not always the case. Does a single guy really need 4-dozen rolls of toilet paper? Do a retired couple with no kids at home really need 6 jars of pasta sauce? Sure it seems like you're saving money, but you have to think within the scope of your usage and family lifestyle.


Let's focus only on the food portion of these stores for a moment. Large portions, big packaging, and huge carts to put it all in. It's no wonder we as a society have issues with understanding what a portion looks like, we've been mega-sized!


Looking past the packaging and doing the math; most processed, canned, jarred, and dry goods can be found for a cheaper unit price elsewhere. Another negative is that these stores do not accept manufacturer coupons, thereby limiting your ability to knock down that unit price.


The bargains in the produce or meat aisles are also limited. I usually find cheaper and a better quality of produce at Sprouts and on the up side most of the produce is local, whereas that is not the case at the warehouse clubs. The meat department does carry a variety of items, but for the everyday meats that my family uses, I don't bother purchasing them there at their premium price.


Moving over a few aisles into the paper goods and cleaning aisles the same concept can be said for these. Most of the paper, plastic, and cleaning products can be found cheaper (per unit) at a big box store (i.e. Target, Walmart, etc.) on sale, with or without a coupon. With that said I confess that I usually shop at Costco for a lot of our paper product and cleaning supply needs. We prefer the Kirkland brand of toilet paper and paper towels, finding that Costco hasn't skimped in their quality even after this latest recession like other brands have. I also buy our laundry detergent and fabric softener there as well with the Costco coupons. Sure I may be able to get my name brand laundry detergent and fabric softener cheaper (per unit) at a big box store, but I do so much laundry that this is just more convenient and practical for me.


I'm not saying that bargains can't be had in the grocery and sundry part of these warehouse clubs, but buyer beware and look at the unit price, you'd be surprised how much you're actually spending on that container of peanut butter.


The second part of the shopping at the warehouse club is all the flashy electronics, DVD's, books, clothes, household items, and more. The stock goes quickly and the adage of "here today, gone tomorrow" is prevalent.


If you are in the market for a new electronic, the warehouse store is someplace you need to consider when doing your research. Need a new appliance, check out what they have and you can usually find that high end brand name option at a lower price than at the department or housewares stores. My family has done many trips to the warehouse store to see what options are available to us when researching a medium to big ticket item, it's good sense to do so.


However the impulse buy thrives in the entertainment section. Do you just have to have that new blockbuster movie that just came out on DVD? Skip the warehouse club and look at one of the big box stores or electronic store advertisement, they usually have terrific prices on these movies the week it is released. Need new reading material, try your local second hand book seller first. Even check out the stock on Amazon.com, good deals can be found just as long as you also calculate the shipping costs into that deal. I'm not saying bargains can't be found, after all if you want a 6-CD bundle of Elvis's greatest hits your warehouse club is probably the best place to look for that kind of thing.


The warehouse clubs are also a great place to purchase your movie tickets, theme park tickets and even postage stamps. The savings that once were available to only auto and vacation clubs can now be had at the warehouse clubs. Even if the savings is only a few buck, think of the warehouse club as your coupon on otherwise un-couponable for that item.

Impulse buying is a fact of life for us Americans no matter how many times we tell ourselves we will stick to that list! Although I don't usually shop impulsively, there have been times where items have magically appeared in my cart. My last impulse buy at Costco was a 3-pack of cask strength bourbon that was deeply discounted after their Christmas sale a few years ago. We actually bought that product a few weeks earlier and loved it. So since we know bourbon doesn't go bad, we bought another at the sale price and kept it in our overstock until we used up the first batch. At Sam's Club my last impulse buy was a package of their pork spare ribs that they were selling at their bulk price (a discounted price beyond the everyday club price) earlier this year. I ended up splitting each rack in half and froze them separately into portions that work well for my family.

As long as you stick to a list, comparison shop, calculate the price per unit, and try to let those impulses pass you by; you can save quite a bit of money every year by shopping at a warehouse club. Just don't go broke by shopping there, which is always a very easy thing to do!

I love my...Food Saver!

One of the things that I just can't live without in my kitchen is my Food Saver vacuum system. Yes I agree that the start up costs are a bit high, but it pays for itself in the first year of use! There's no throwing away money in my house...no freezer burn!

I buy meat only on stock up sales, clearance, or at really good sale prices at the warehouse club stores. It use to be that I wouldn't pay over $3.00 a pound of any meat, however in today's economy that is not always the case. When meat does go on sale I stock up enough to last me until the next stock up sale, which can be a six months to a year away in some cases.

Some of my bargains that are currently sitting in my freezer are...

• 2# chubs of 97% grade ground beef - $1.89/# from Fry's
• Pork spare ribs, mostly de-boned - $1.68/# from Sam's Club
• NY Strip Steaks - $3.97/# whole in bag from Fry's
• whole chickens - $0.49/# from Fry's
• chicken wingettes (organic) - $1.99/# from Sprouts
• chicken breasts & tenders - $1.99/# from both Sprouts and Fry's
• spiral ham - $0.99/# from Fry's

I Food Saver not only raw meat, but so much more!

• If I cook a chicken for dinner, I usually cook two and freeze the meat of one. This goes for pretty much any meal; chili (freeze first then food saver), pulled pork, steak, etc.
• Too much rice from your take out, freeze it for a later use.
• Love the seasonal veggie of your choice, blanch it and Food Saver it and have it off season. Same can be said for seasonal berries, just freeze them first before Food Savering them so that they don't get crushed.
• During the holiday season when I'm making pies, I freeze a few before they're baked so that I all I have to do is bake it later without making the mess.

So as you can see, I'm totally obsessed with my Food Saver!