Friday, April 10, 2009

Money Saving Tips II

Thank you to everyone who posted helpful comments on the last post of money saving tips. Some of you had some questions about the specifics of some of these things. First off, in regards to the whole coupon thing, I should have explained that this is a rather time consuming endeavor. It takes me a couple hours to go through my entire shopping list to find what's on sale through couponmom.com and then cut out the coupons. However, the way I see it is that if I'm not working this is the way I can contribute to my family's "income". Essentially, I spent two hours last week and "brought in" over $100 that we wouldn't have had otherwise. So it's worth it to me. This may or may not work for you. Also, if you decide to use Coupon Mom, you MUST read the free downloadable booklets to fully understand how to use it for it's maximum benefit.

You must also realize that it takes some time before you start saving big bucks. First you have to have the coupons. I just save the Super Saver, Red Plum, and Proctor and Gamble circulars every time they come. Then I put them all in a binder, so when CouponMom tells me there is a coupon for an item I need and tells me where it is, I can go right to it. Make sure you put the date on your circulars so you can find your coupons easily.

Second, how do I handle produce that doesn't have coupons? In this case, I just buy what I need. But I always make sure to see what is on sale first and buy that if at all possible. Sometimes there will be coupons for brands of fresh produce. For instance, I buy Cuties for Eli, which are navel oranges that come in 3lb or 5lb bags. There are always coupons for these in the circulars. It isn't possible for us right now (our yard gets practically zero sun), but I would suggest growing your own produce if you can. Once you have a list of meals you eat regularly, you'll know exactly what you should be planting. You can also go to U-pick farms to get your produce. This is a fun, inexpensive way to get what you need. Then you can can your own fruits and veggies, make freezer jams, etc. Not to mention you'll get a few free berries if you eat them as you go! :) Nothing better than fresh raspberries!

Finally, laundry soap. Shout out to my friend Abbey, again, who turned me on to this. Here is the recipe. It doesn't smell like much of anything, but you can add scented oil to it if you choose, otherwise, dryer sheets work nicely for that. But don't use them on the baby clothes! It takes away their flame-resistantness. :)

Happy Saving!

3 comments:

The Katzbox said...

I forgot to mention, when your favorite student goes BACK to school, he can sign up with UPromise and your funds can go directly to HIS account and he can accrue funds directly to his account to help defray his costs of living....he can register at their website :)

The Katzbox said...

I didn't phrase that exactly correctly...a PORTION of the money that is spent at particular vendors can go to his account...duh...yeesh....he can get the particulars at the site...I'll stop typing now....

Eli Bowman said...

Honey...I just love you so much. You work so hard to help us out in little ways that add up (and big ways that add up even more), and I am eternally grateful for those acts of love and service you render in behalf of me and the kids.

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