A while ago I wrote about our family's need to become a bit more thrifty. While I know you're not waiting on pins and needles for our financial status updates, posting this information is a good way for me to keep with the program and not fall back into lazy spending habits. Since I know ya'll are founts of knowledge, feel free to leave me some comments about websites you use for saving money, or any advice on trimming down ye olde family budget.
Utilizing the Awesome Power of the Social Network
Since I spend an obscene amount of time on Facebook I became a fan of a few websites/blogs that have great money-saving deals. A favorite thus far has been Couponing to Disney. Don't let the Disney part throw you off, it's the very popular blog of a mom who gathers tons of info on coupons, rewards points, free samples and other stuff. As a north westerner, some of the deals don't work because they're for stores like Publix, CVS and southern deals, but there's still a lot of great info that gets funneled through this blog.
The Real Deal
As a lazy shopper, I spent years buying things without really considering the cost of individual items. I'll admit that once out of the store, I couldn't tell you the cost of that box of Cheese Its or Oreos (I'd say these are just pregnancy indulgences... but that would be fibbing.) So when a deal would be advertised, I had no idea if it was a good price. Now I keep a spread sheet on my laptop and enter in prices of what I paid for items when I get home. Now, when I see an advertised special at a store I normally don't shop at, I can look at the comparison price to see if it's worth driving across town for. Most of the time it isn't, because Winco rocks and its only FIVE MINUTES from my apartment. I grew up as a country girl but I sure do love the perks of being so close to a grocery store.
Cutting Coupons
Let me preface this by stating that I am not a coupon fanatic. It seems like 9/10ths of the coupons out there are for things I never use. Or they're for brand name items that I can get cheaper by buying the store brand even without a coupon. The website Coupon Mom has helped thin things out a little bit by showing me the store deals and then where you can find that week's coupon. Again, there isn't anything set up for my state yet, but hopefully that will be coming soon. I usually find about 3 coupons I can use that week. The last time I did a big shopping trip, I was able to shave about $10 off my bill with coupons and a few store brand substitutions.
Trying New Things
I just signed up for the Rite Aid reward card, where it gives you money to use towards future purchases. I plan on trying it out for the first time this week because of a deal they're supposed to have going on diapers. (Well, I'll only get to that if the deal is still going on Saturday. Sick kiddo kind of threw a wrench in my shopping plans this week.) I also signed up (with a little trepidation, I might add) to be part of the National Consumer Panel. It's another way to earn rewards by giving Big Brother access to my spending information. This will be a bit more labor intensive, since you scan your weekly purchases and upload them to their website. Reviews of the program are very positive, so we'll see how much time it actually takes up and if the rewards are worth it. It didn't cost anything to start up, and free to cancel if I don't like it, or don't have time for it once Benjamin comes.
As I try to become a smarter shopper, I've been able to really cut back on the grocery budget. I'm baking more instead of buying processed foods and trying out more store brand products to see if we can replace their more expensive counterparts. This has been really helpful since our "miscellaneous" budget has pretty much been shot to pieces the last two months. I had originally set up the budget of $130/month to buy things that didn't fall into the monthly bill or grocery sections. Then Josh outgrew his car seat. $139 for one that fits his size requirements. Then we had to pay for CPA exams. $400. Then Josh broke David's laptop. That's going to be at least $100, and we're not sure replacing the hard drive is going to be enough. I keep telling myself that it's just a one time purchase, but things like that seem to keep popping up each month. A tiny bit frustrating as we struggle to make a decision about me returning to work after baby Ben is born. Though with the way health care is going, I might have to return to work in order to keep insurance for our family. We'll see what happens with the November elections and cross that bridge when we get to it. We're still very blessed financially and recognize that we have much more money than a huge percentage of the world's population.
I'd love to hear your ideas on pinching pennies and stretching that dollar.
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