Raising a growing family on a tight Budget?!

Raising more than two kids is still financially possible. Yes, it does take money to provide for children, but the majority of Americans can provide for several children. I know. You're snickering right now. For the past few years parents have been bombarded with newscasts and articles about the difficult economic times America is facing. But, hear me out.

Many parents have yet to tap into money-saving options when it comes to children. Too many parents focus on giving their kids “only the best.” However, sometimes kids can have the best–at a fraction of the cost.

Have you considered money-saving strategies that many large families use to provide for their six, eight and twelve kids? You may only have a fraction of that in your brood, but you can still make it happen—even on a tight budget!

·         Thrift it! I have seen women literally sour their face when I mention a thrift store or yard-sale. Not me! I LOVE finding a good deal! I have gotten many brand-new items that must have been extra or unwanted gifts at the local thrift store or neighborhood yard sale. Baby clothes are always easy to find since little ones grow out of their layettes at top notch speed. I have snagged Nike, Adidas and Sketchers toddler shoes for my kiddos. There are treasures to be found, so get to treasure-hunting!

·         Make it from scratch. Those multi-flavored Popsicles look yummy, don’t they? Why not try making them at home? Since we live in a tropical climate, my kiddos enjoy chugging down shakes. They like peanut butter shakes, chocolate shakes, vanilla shakes, banana shakes, mango shakes, Oreo shakes and the list goes on. If I buy them at a coffee shop close by it is $2.00 per kid. At home, I make the shakes for $1.50-$3.00—for all five of us! That’s only because Mommy and Daddy have a hard time saying no to a cold, slushy drink topped with whipped cream.

I recently discovered I could make hot cocoa from scratch–with little effort. My family has been hooked ever since. I really just throw some unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar and a dash of salt into a large pot. Then I add water and bring it to a boil. Once it has boiled, I remove from heat and add milk. It is creamy and rich! You can always add extra flavors like caramel, mint and raspberry to make the perfect cup of hot cocoa.

Do some researching today and start making your own food from scratch! Kick the canned, packaged foods and frozen foods. Save money and make healthier, tastier meals.

·         Teach healthy habits. If you are blessed to stay at home with your kiddos, you have an opportunity everyday to make sure they are consuming healthy foods, washing their hands, brushing their teeth etc. Taking time to ensure your kids are staying healthy will prevent many health problems that can rack havoc on your bank account—health insurance or not. Just making the choice to home-school can cut down on millions of germs your kids are exposed to. Also, taking precautions when returning from public places, like washing hands right away, will cut down on the doctor bills and meds. Don’t forget to teach your kids to stop touching their face! Small steps make a big difference.

·         Treat items with care. A real money-stretcher is a simple thought—take care of the things you already have! Things need replaced less often if handled with care and maintained well. Don’t allow your kids to jump on your furniture, write on the walls or throw objects. Give the family dog a chew toy and train it to avoid chewing on your shoes and toys. Take time to show your kids how to care for books, DVDs and toys.

·         “Just a dab will do ya!” This is a famous saying from my Grandma–and boy, is it a wise one. Do your kids really need a tablespoon of toothpaste to brush their teeth? What about shampoo and soap? For sure they don’t need a huge glob of shampoo slathered onto their tiny tresses! It’s amazing how much money my family has saved just by monitoring the amounts of toiletries, food and drinks our kids use. Take a couple days and observe if your family is using excessive amounts of toiletries or other items—it may surprise you!

·         Divvy out small portions. After I prepare dinner, I prepare my husband’s plate and then my kids. I probably give each child about two tablespoons of the side veggie and then two tablespoons of the main dish. If the kids want more, then I give them more. But what happens if I give them a teen-sized portion and then there is uneaten, left-over food? It goes in the trash. Serving smaller portions to your kids will, in time, cut your grocery bill at least by 20%.

What frugal ideas has your family implemented in your lifestyle? Please share it with the other moms in the comments section! We can all use some extra dough from making more financial savvy decisions!

One of those days!

     I know we all have them...some worse than others.  One of those days when you get the feeling that you just aren't doing enough.  Either helping out financially in your household or just helping out in your church or community.  I know my friends and family would laugh and take my temperature since I seem to actually have very little time to even call my own.  Whether it's Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, my online college classes, the kids online home school classes, or helping my dad with his Friday night Bible study supplies.  Did I mention I still do all the household stuff like cooking, cleaning, and laundry too?

     I try so hard to be organized or get more organized.  I am a total Pinterest junkie with tons of pins on the subject.  Did I also mention that it sometimes takes a lot of money to try those ideas?  It's totally amazing to see the things other people have come up with to try and make things a bit easier on themselves.  Some of those things I never would have thought of...not even in a million years.

Like using a plastic over the door organizer to store Barbies...

...or how about using hanging file folders to store fabric remnants...

...heck, they even have places to print the labels you need to organize the stuff...

...and if those don't work they have whole pins to help you with tons of other ideas!

     I can see how people get depressed when you look at "pins" like these and feel like your home isn't up to par.  But then I have to also think about who's par I want to live up to.  My house is a very busy place with a teenager, two children under 10, and two adults.  There are few days when we are not home to mess things up.  Our house tends to stay on the "lived in" side of the clean scale.  There may be hangers on the floor or a crayon or two under the table, but you know what...I'll live with that if that's what I complain about.  There are people out there with no clothes to need a hanger and children out there who don't have one crayon much less a box with a few hundred in it.  

     I guess writing all this out helped get me out of my own crumby mood.  I'm going to go hugs my kids, pick up those hangers, and maybe relax for a few minutes and have a cup of coffee.  Don't get me started on my love of coffee.  I even have my own Pinterest board dedicated to my own guilty pleasure of coffee.

My hubby knows where he is on my scale...and he's ok with it!  hehe

Home school is a go!

     We started home schooling Alex and Samie a few weeks ago.  he are both registered through Florida virtual School.  This mean they are still Florida students, but the home educated students at the same time.  They both got huge boxes of books and workbooks.  They even got paint brushes and safety goggles to use too.  Samie loves the yoga CD she got and has even done it a few times already.

     Oh...I am also exited to be getting into my couponing again!  I went on a big trip last Friday and saved $84.  I had to do two transactions in order to use my two $5 coupons.  So I spent $130 instead of over $200.  

     Plus, a huge perk for shopping at Winn Dixie is their Fuel Perks program.  This is a way to earn money off at the gas pump by just shopping and buying groceries.  I have gotten as much as $1.50 off PER gallon of gas before.  This was back when gas was over $4 a gallon so it was awesome to get it back under $3!  It is usually about $.05 per $50 you spend, but they have bonus items that give you money on top of your added up amount.  Did I mention tthat the $50 is added up over the month.  So if you spend $25 today an $25 tomorrow...there's $50 and your first $.05 off.  It's that easy and when everything is expensive...even $.05 off is a big deal.

     Well I better get going on my own school work.  I can't wait until May 2014....NO SCHOOL FOR ME!

Our new Adventure...

     ...most of you know that I have pretty much been a college student since July 2009.  Did you guys know that Mike went back to school a few years ago?  We both will graduate with BS degrees next year, Me in May and him just a few months later.  So to take notes...Mike and I = Full time students.  Bonus points for Mike = he also works full time outside the house as a manager for Staples.  Not so "easy"!  AND now...we decided to homeschool both Alex and Samie.  They are actually going through FLVS and listed as full time home educated children.  It was really easy to get them signed up and they even got all their text books mailed to them and even a few art supplies for "Art Class".  I had them doing workbooks and stuff all summer so they would get to know what's it was like working at home.  It's still a battle to get them to sit at the computer and do their work, but it's only week 2 and we're still trying to get into a groove with it.

     Mike and I are geeks...we know it...you know it...end of story.  I was goofing off one night on youtube and found the best channel EVER!  It's tabletop which is produced by the King of geeks Mr. Wil Wheaten and the Queen of geeks Ms. Felicia Day.  It is freaking awesome and so funny.  They basically play board games and video themselves and friends doing it.  But these just aren't any board games...no.  These are games probably no one has ever heard of.  We have even thought about looking some of them up online to get and play at home.

     Anyway...lunch break for us school students.  Take care and leave a comment if you want.

The next 8 simple steps to saving money with coupons!!

1. Determine which stores are in your area to shop at.
                  Here in SW Florida, the main grocery stores are Publix, Sweetbay and Winn-Dixie. I have a couponing friend in upstate New York who swears by PriceChopper. There are SuperTarget & Super WalMart stores almost everywhere.  The thing to remember with coupon shopping is that the stores that have the lowest overall prices don’t usually have the best “loss leader” sales. They rely on their everyday low prices to entice shoppers.

          The opposite is true of the stores with higher prices. They rely on their sales to entice shoppers, knowing that the vast majority will end up buying plenty of non-sale items as well.

          Part of the trick to using coupons effectively is to beat the system by a.) stockpiling and b.) shopping at multiple stores.

2. Pick a coupon shopping website to help you make your list.

          There are some amazing coupon resources available on the Internet, and you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by using them.

Here are my recommended coupon match up sites:
True Couponing - I use and love this site.  It matches up just about every store in the area with coupons and flyer's.  They can even give you ideas of what to buy and what coupons to use to save the most on your trip.
Southern Savers–great match ups for Southern grocery stores
One Deal at a Time--Really great Kroger & Randall’s lists (based out of Texas)
Surviving the Stores–huge selection; based out of Texas
Coupon Connections–great match ups for the Pacific Northwest
Living Rich with Coupons–Focuses on the Northeastern United States; awesome Shoprite match up
Cuckoo for Coupon Deals–huge selection; really great Kmart match up
Happy Homemaker Cindy–based out of Michigan; great Meijer match up
Nor Cal Coupon Gal-Northern California
Southern Cali Saver-Southern California
Penny Pinchin’-- Mom-Midwest

          These are only a few of the many, many coupon match up blogs available. If you are looking for a particular store, just do a google search for “[your store] coupon matchups” and you should be able to find something.  Once you figure out which of these websites matches the stores in your area, bookmark it and then spend some time exploring the site to see where everything is.

3. Find this week’s post for your stores.
          Once you’ve decided on your site, click on this week’s ad for the store you would like to shop at.
          Read through it completely. Make some mental notes:  Check the final price after coupons. Are there any items that look like a great deal? Are there any items that you or your family want/or need? Which items require coupons from newspaper inserts? Which ones match up with printable coupons? Are there links to those printable coupons? Repeat this exercise for one more store in your area. Which store has better deals this week? Which store has more items you would want to purchase?

4. Make your list.

          Based on the exercise you just did, pick ONE of your two stores to make a list from. For the sake of this exercise, pick NO MORE than 3 items. Remember, this is the non- overwhelming baby-steps method of learning how to use coupons!
          At some point you will easily head to the grocery store with a list of 30 items and 50 coupons in your hand. But for now, let’s take it slow. Trust me, you will thank me when you get to the checkout line!
          If you are using a site with a printable list option (all the ones listed above have this) simply click on the 3 items that you choose and then print your list. If you are writing out your list by hand, be sure to include the exact brand and size of the item, the sale price, and the coupon you will be using.
          Finally, choose items that fit ALL of the following criteria:  After coupons, it is more than a 60% savings off the regular price? (For example, if Hamburger Helper is normally $1.99 a box, and they are on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, that will make them 50% off. That’s not good enough. However, if there is also a $1 off 2 boxes coupon available, your final price will be $0.50 a box, a savings of 75%. That is good enough to make the list!)

5. The coupon required for the savings is a printable coupon that is still available.

          (To find out if the printable coupon is still available just click the link and try to print. If you get a message that says “no more prints available” or “you have already printed this coupon the max amount of times,” there are no prints left.)

6. The item is something you or your family would use.

          (It doesn’t have to be something you always buy, just something that you might like to try or something that you think your family might like if they tried it. Part of the fun of coupon shopping is that you get to expand your horizons and try new things!)

7. Gather your coupons.

          Using the links provided on the site you are using, print as many coupons as allowed. (Usually 2 per computer.) If the coupon happens to be a PDF file (rare, but it does happen occasionally), it is helpful to save the coupon on your computer rather than print immediately to use again at a future date.
          If you have more than one computer, use it to print additional copies of your coupons. Once you have printed (then trimmed) all the coupons for the 3 items on your list, determine how many of each item you will be able to buy. Remember, if an item is on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free, you will be able to use 2 coupons, one for the paid item and one for the free item.  On your list, note how many of each item you will buy based on how many coupons you have.

8. Go shopping!

          Isn’t this exciting? Your first trip to the store. Be sure to buy ONLY what is on your list. (Make a separate trip for other items–the goal is to focus and learn without getting overwhelmed or distracted.)
          Before you get to the checkout, double check your coupons to make sure the quantities are correct. When you get to the checkout line, be sure to tell the cashier that you have several coupons, and ask whether he/she would prefer them ahead of time or with the items.
          Be friendly and courteous and confident, and pay close attention to the coupons as they are scanned to make sure that none get skipped or forgotten (easier to do when you are only purchasing a few items.) I promise any apprehension you may feel will disappear the moment you see your receipt!
          And that’s it for this week. Just to review: Decide which stores are available in your area, go to a coupon match up site to help you make your list, then review the weekly ad posts for your top 2 stores. Pick one store and choose no more than 3 items to put on your list, based on the criteria above.
          Once you’ve gathered your coupons, head to the store for your first extreme couponing adventure. Once again, it might not seem like much, and after your first trip to the store, you might be eager to grab some more bargains. If so feel free to repeat the list-making process for another store (or even the same store), but be sure to keep your list down to only a few items.    

Couponing Guide

Another way I have learned to save money is couponing.  No, I don't spend hours and hours a day searching the interent and printing ton of coupons.  No, I don't have some crazy spreadsheet and store layouts.  I am just an average mom who needs to save money on my grocery budget.  These are a few ideas I thought I'd pass along to you to try and help you save too! 

1. Establish your coupon sources.

There are 2 main sources of coupons: newspaper inserts and printable coupons. (There are also a few secondary sources of coupons, such as free coupon booklets (often found at the front of grocery stores or in the mail), store flyers, “peelies,” (coupons stuck to the product you are buying), and coupons that come inside a product.)  It used to be that most coupons came from the Sunday paper, but that is no longer the case. It's estimated that these days at least 80% of the coupons people use each week are now printable coupons. However, the Sunday paper is also an important source of coupons.  This week you should find out which of your local paper’s has the best coupon inserts. The easiest way to do this, if there is more than one option in your area, is buy one of each and then compare. For example, in my area, there are 3 different papers for me to choose from. Of those 3, two get all the coupon inserts each week and one doesn’t. Thus, I only buy the papers that include all the coupons.  For printable coupons, the main sources are Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Red Plum, and Smart Source. There are also coupons available quite often on company websites and Facebook pages. You will generally only print coupons when you need them. Most printable coupons have a limit of 2 per computer, so it helps to have more than one computer.

2. Start a subscription to the Sunday paper.

(Or figure out where you will get your paper from each week.) It may seem weird at first, but to save a lot of money with coupons you will probably want to get multiple copies of the same paper. I never get less than 4 in a given week, and sometimes I even get 6 or more if there is a coupon I really like.  Try asking friends, family, neighbors, or local businesses for their unused inserts. Some areas even have free local papers that include coupon inserts. BE SURE to subscribe to or buy the local paper that has the best coupons. Not all Sunday papers are equal!!

3. Consider buying a cheap B&W laser printer.

You will be printing a LOT of coupons, so I can’t recommend this option strongly enough. An inexpensive laser printer can literally save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. 

4. Get organized.

Your system need not be elaborate; on the contrary, the simpler it is, the easier it will be to maintain. (And trust me, it will need regular maintenance!)  Ultimately you need to figure out what works for you when it comes to organizing your coupons, but there are a two main options, each with its own pros and cons:

The Filing Method:

The filing system is probably the easiest to set and requires the least amount of time and effort to maintain. However, it will take you longer to plan your shopping trips each week, and you will always have to plan your trip before going to the store.

The filing system is two-fold. For my weekly newspaper inserts, I use a portable file box with hanging folders. Each folder is labeled with the date, and then each Sunday I just plop the whole stack of inserts in the folder. It’s easy-peasy and requires no clipping. (I also have a folder labeled “to sort,” which is handy for keeping track of coupons I’ve printed or clipped but then not used but haven’t yet had time to put away.)

The Binder Method (the method I personally use)

The binder method takes a little more time to set up and maintain each week, but planning and gathering your coupons for a shopping trip is much faster. Coupons are organized by category instead of date and it is portable, which means you can take all your coupons with you each time you go to the store.

I've heard of the Qubie Coupon Organization System, which includes the QubiePro Binder for all your grocery coupons, as well as two smaller binders for specialty store coupons and store cards & gift cards. It arrives ready-to-fill, with plenty of clear 9-pocket “baseball card” sheets and pre-divided into sections.  I just use a zippered 3″ heavy duty binder, A-Z 3-ring binder dividers, and baseball card pages.  I use the "brand" as a way of organization.  Hienz Ketchup would be placed under H.  Charmin Toliet Paper would be placed under C and so on.