Budgeting for the Holidays

I can hardly believe that I'm going to write a post about the holidays in October, but I am actually a big believer in shopping well in advance for Christmas, so this isn't really too far out of my comfort zone to be talking about this already!  In a day and age where financial ease seems rare, it is my hope to be able to share some tips that will save you money and keep you on or under budget!

Did you see that word that ended that first paragraph?  BUDGET!  Really, that's the best thing you can do for yourself.  Look at your finances and figure out what you can afford!  You don't need to go into serious debt during the holidays.  Spend what you can afford, not to keep up with the Jones'.  The holidays should be about spending time with family, not competing to see who can buy the best gift or giving your children everything they want.  In the end, it's all just "stuff."  The memories that you make as a family will long outlive the $400 IPAD Mini that your son/daughter HAD to have.  

Okay, you've created your budget.  Now what?  Start looking online now.  Today while I was at the gym, I saw a segment on the Today Show about www.poachit.com.  Admittedly I haven't tried it out yet, but it looks intriguing.  You can add items that you are interested in purchasing and then receive an email when the price drops.  Coupon codes are also listed on the site and at first glance it looks like it could saves hours of surfing for deals.

I do the majority of my shopping online and have saved hundreds of dollars using Ebates.  It may seem like it will take you longer to do your shopping, but it's really just one extra click.  Go to the website, search for your store, and enter their website through Ebates to receives a percentage of your purchase as cash back.  Often times the cash back percentage will double or even triple during the holidays and it really adds up!  You can choose to receive a check or receive instant Amazon credit (which is my new favorite thing to do!) every three months.  As a bonus, you can choose a $10 gift card once you make a purchase.  I love this site and have not had any trouble with it in the three years I've participated.

If you like to shop in the store, there is an awesome app I use called The Coupons App.  This app has deals at restaurants, stores, and other entertainment venues.  Just click on the offer you want and the code will come up.  It uses your location and provides the offers in your area.  It's really awesome for vacations, too, to save some money on meals or entertainment.  There are usually discounts for Old Navy, Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Ulta just to name a few!

One last tip for the day!  Check your area for a half price deals or other discount site.  I frequently use QCUPickem and get some great deals on gift cards.  Generally you pay half of the value of the gift card and the restrictions are fairly limited if any.  I've begun to give these as gifts to teachers and family.  It's a great deal!

Stay tuned for some more holiday posts to come!  We'll be trying out some new crafts and recipes this year and be passing them along before you know it!

 


 

Taking it Easy This Week...For Dinner!

This time change has really done a number on our family.  My youngest has been starting the day very early the past few days.  Today was 5:00, which is much better than the 3:30 wake-up call yesterday.  I am hoping that by the end of the week I'll at least get to see a six on the clock at wake-up time. The joys of parenting!

Today is election day and I can happily say I voted by mail.  What a wonderful way to cast your vote:  no lines, no kids to keep in check, and I could research the candidates as I went along.  I think it will be my "go-to" way to vote for awhile!  I hope that people exercise their right to vote this election.  While the candidate you chose may not win, at least you got to voice your opinion.  I think that is the most important thing.  People are quick to complain, but if you didn't vote, in my eyes you've lost that privilege! 

This week I have planned a simple, low-budget menu.  While that may sound boring, I think it is just what the doctor ordered!  I seem to equate low-budget with easy to make.  I incorporated some meat from the freezer and added in a few of the kids' favorites to create a menu that "should" please even the little people this week.  Here's a quick rundown of our menu:

Monday:  Crockpot parmesan encrusted boneless pork loin roast and baked potatoes
Tuesday:  Tacos
Wednesday:  Baked Mostaccioli
Thursday:  Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs
Friday:  Homemade Pizza
Saturday:  Homemade Fettucini Alfredo

This menu is light on meat, but to compensate for that I use Barilla Pasta Plus to add some protein and Omega-3's.  Target's Market Pantry brand has begun to make some types of this pasta as well, which has cut down on costs a bit.

Today I'd like to share our simple go-to recipe for baked mostaccioli.  You can make this with or without meat.  It is quick, easy, and my kids devour it!

Baked Mostaccioli

3/4 to full box of Penne pasta
Jar of Prego spaghetti sauce (if I use a whole box of noodles, I buy the size up from the small jar)
Mozzarella cheese
Ground beef/turkey (optional)

Cook pasta per directions on box; drain.  In a bowl, mix pasta and spaghetti sauce (and cooked meat, if using).  You want to make sure it is very saucy!  Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, making sure it is heated through.

Money Saving Tips: Whittle Away Wednesday Week 1

I am really working hard on this budget (as if you couldn't tell), so I thought I'd share some tips on how to save on everyday purchases.  This post could take hours, but I'll just share a few today and pass some more along next week.  We'll affectionately call it "Whittle Away Wednesday."


Let's start with an online shopping tip.  I know I've mentioned this before, but it is really one of the simplest ways to save money if you purchase anything online.  Sign up for an Ebates account and start saving!  It is so easy and worth your time, especially during the back-to-school shopping season and the holidays.  It's just one extra step and you'll love the check in the mail every three months!    


As I mentioned last week, I was going to work very hard on staying within our budget for groceries for the next few weeks.  I headed to the bank, withdrew my money, and set off to save!  My first stop was Target.  Normally I get a lot of my basics at Wal-Mart, but I was at Target for a few other items and decided to shop around a bit.  I ended up getting the majority of the everyday items I needed for the week there (and came in around $38.00).  Many of the purchases I made were their generic brand, Market Pantry, which cut back on costs. 


There are many benefits to shopping at Target.  The most important, for me, is my Target Red Card.  It provides a 5% discount on all of my purchases which is a nice bonus.  I know, I know, it's not cash, however, after I checked out, I went straight to customer service and paid the total amount I had charged with cash.  Problem solved!  I can also get free shipping when I make an online purchase, as well as contributing up to 1% of my purchases to my child's school.  Win-win all around!


In addition to the savings from the credit card, I receive coupons via text message and can also use the printable coupons from their website.  These can be combined with manufacturer coupons, so the savings can really add up quickly.  I've also found that I get a lot of good coupons at checkout that I can use in the future.  There is one more way to save at Target:  price matching!  Bring in your ad, take it to customer service, and get some money back.  If you can't tell, I love Target!


I also followed through with my trip to Aldi (we've now been there twice!).  As promised by some friends, the produce prices were often less than what I was paying at Wal-Mart or the local grocery stores.  This week we stocked up on blueberries ($1.49/lb) and strawberries ($1.19/lb), as well as pineapple ($1.19).  I found their grape and apples prices to be lower as well, though I had a little mold issue with my grapes as they were very wet.  We picked up a bag of carrots and a package of two zucchini (that I used in my cake) for 99 cents each.  I haven't been able to find a store yet with a good selection of organic produce that's not ridiculously expensive,  so this is where I'll be picking up our fresh fruits and vegetables for the time being.  


Since the price of the strawberries and blueberries is so low, I am planning to go back and buy several pounds to freeze.  We love to make fruit smoothies, so this will be a great way to save money in the long run.  If you'd like the recipe, I've included it below. 


I was quite pleased with my grocery trips this week.  I've stayed within our budget thanks to switching up my stores a bit and buying our meat in bulk when there is a good sale.  I have also been planning my meals with our budget in mind and adapting as necessary.  We love Barilla Pasta Plus noodles, so if I need to make a meatless dish, this is my go-to for protein.  Cutting out some meat cuts cost!

Fruit Smoothie


Fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
Apple Juice
Vanilla or French Vanilla yogurt (try Greek for a thicker smoothie)
Ice (if fresh fruit is used)

We use the Magic Bullet Express 17-Pc. Blending System to make our smoothies.  (You could also use a blender, but my directions pertain to the Bullet).

Fill cup 3/4 full with fruit, add juice, and top off with yogurt near the top of the cup.  Blend for 30 seconds.  Shake it around and blend for 20-30 seconds more.

Some fruit combinations we enjoy are strawberry and banana; strawberry, banana and pineapple; strawberry and blueberry; and strawberry, blueberry, and banana

Some Days are Overwhelming

There are some days when I wake in the morning and before I even get out of bed I feel overwhelmed. Nothing has changed in our household, I just begin to think about all of the things I'd like to accomplish that day combined with what needs to be done and I feel a little suffocated.  Today is one of those days.    We wrapped up breakfast and I was torn in several different directions:  cleaning up the kitchen, gathering the laundry and getting it started, creating a grocery list, and contemplating heading to the gym.  I had to slow myself down and focus on one task at a time.  After a bit, my kitchen was clean, the laundry was started, and I was rounding everyone up for a trip to the gym.  I should have felt better, but I didn't.  It was time to check-in with myself and try to figure out the root of my anxiety.


After I thought about things a bit, I realized there were two areas in my life that were bothering me:  our budget and my time management.  Today I'm going to tackle the budget.  I need to prepare my grocery list, so it seems like the perfect day to do so.  Time management will wait until tomorrow!


As I have mentioned before, we are trying to switch over to a cash system and put those magic debit cards to rest.  I've been working hard to begin this process with grocery shopping and I have seen some improvement.  The problem, however, is that eventually the cash runs out before it's time for the next round.  I need to shake things up a bit.  Obviously what I'm doing isn't working!


Here's a little background about our thoughts on food.  Please don't judge (I won't judge you!), it's just where we stand.  Since I am a stay-at-home mom, it is important to me to prepare meals for our family that are fresh and nutritious.  I do my best to avoid processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG.  We buy organic milk and yogurt, as well as some produce.  I have stopped buying "filler" snacks, like Goldfish crackers and other munchies, and focused more on offering fruits, smoothies, and vegetables as an alternative.  Naturally, this drives up our food bill a bit.  Now I am trying to compensate for this price difference.


I do prepare our menu for the week and try to work in some of the sales at the local stores.  While I like to use our money to buy just what we need for the week, some of the meat sales are a bit hard to pass up.  I guess by the end of the month it will have probably balanced out, but it's hard to see right now in the middle of the month.  It seems like many of our essentials (cereal for example) have drastically gone up in price and the "sales" just aren't great anymore.  It is really making sticking to this budget difficult!


I am going to really get serious about sticking to this budget.  Payday is tomorrow, so I'll be heading to the bank and getting my cash out.  Per some tips from some of my Facebook friends, I am going to check out our local Aldi.  I am hoping that I can find some items there that will help cut our costs.  I am most optimistic about the produce, though I'm sure there is not an organic selection.  I will continue to shop around and pick up the various sale priced items at each store.


Eventually I will figure out where I need to be shopping in this area to meet our budget.  It will just take some time.  Stay tuned for weekly updates on this project.  If I can find some money-saving tips, I will gladly pass them along!  If you have any ideas, please leave a comment.  We can learn a lot from each other!

I'm a Frugal Mom

My job description goes a little bit further than "Mom."  One of my other responsibilities is finance.  I am working on creating a budget for our family and moving to an all-cash system.  I'm giving myself a few months to get a rough budget in order since our lives have changed quite a bit in the past few months, but it is something that needs to be done.  In the age of plastic, it is easy to swipe the card at the checkout and not even pay attention to how much you've spent.  I have started to use cash for groceries and after running around to the different stores I now know how much I've spent.  I think the days of swiping the magic debit card are coming to an end!


I like to shop around to find the best price for everything.  I am a grocery ad reading, coupon clipping, online shopping mom.  Yes, I understand that this takes more time, but when it comes down to it we are living off of one income and saving money whenever possible is a must.


One of my favorite money-saving sites is Ebates.  Whenever I am purchasing online, I log into Ebates and see if my store participates.  The concept is simple:  enter a website through Ebates and receive a percentage of cash back.  The hardest part is remembering to start at the Ebates website!  Most of the time, the cash back is a small percentage of your total purchase, but there are times throughout the year where the percentage of cash back may be doubled or more.  You receive a check every three months if you have more than $5 in your account.  This can be a really good deal if you like to do your Christmas  shopping online.  I have received several checks and love that it's so simple to do.


A lot of stores also allow you to shop online and pick up your items in the store.  This is another great way to save some time and money, as you can still access the store through Ebates and receive your cash back.  I have one tip, though:  always keep your order confirmation.  I have had a few times where my purchase didn't get credited, but they keep tracking tickets on the website and you can provide your order confirmation to solve this problem.


If you shop online, give it a try!  Who doesn't like free money?  You can check it out by clicking:


Ebates


Happy shopping!