When I ordered my son's shoes,I was looking for an add on item as his shoes were $24.99. They were just one penny off from free shipping. I could either pay $5 and something shipping OR add something to the order.
As I searched, I found some gluten free muffin mix. It was priced at $3.81 for a 6 pack. I saw the title then clicked on the description. Yep, it said for a 6 pack. Now one box is a little over $4 locally. (Gluten free is freaking expensive! As a thrifty momma, it hurts to pay $3.60 for cornbread mix when Jiffy is 50 cents!) How could I pass up a 6 pack for less than the price of one? So I bought 4! The total was $15.24 for 24 boxes.(about 63 cents each!)
I had the "I just found a super deal" high going. Yes, you can get an adrenaline rush from a good deal. You should try it sometime. Being addicted to thrifty is not only good for your health but also good for your wallet!
So of course the very next day, I was prepared to share my good fortune with another gluten free person... I went to my order and clicked the link back to the item. It was now $33.81 for a 6 pack! I was sure tmy great and short lived deal must have been a pricing error. I was also sure my order or a portion of it would be canceled. I would not have had any hard feelings about it (unless they tried to make me pay shipping on the shoes. I think if they canceled part they should give me the option to add something else to the order, right?)
Well his shoes shipped. I waited. The next day the muffin mix shipped. Guess what I have in my kitchen right now? 24 boxes of Gluten free muffin mix that don't expire till April 2014! I did a happy dance when they arrived.
I'm amazed by Amazon! Thank you for being the type of company that will stand by an error and not cancel an order.
(And Thank you Swagbucks ... because I paid for it all with gift cards! It was all FREE! Woo Hoo! My baby got a new pair of shoes and I got a years worth of Muffin mix!)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Be a Thrifty lazy shopper
I'm lazy. It's true. I'd rather not have to do anything that is going to be too time consuming or complicated. Years ago I found 2 websites that I really loved. They did all the thrifty work for me.
http://www.couponmom.com/ Coupon mom is a great website! It's been around for a long time. I first signed up in 2008 or so. It is FREE. This site matches internet coupons and Sunday paper coupons with sales in your area. It's very helpful so you can see what to stock up on. You can even print out a list! (The site tells you the date and what section the coupons were in. So you don't have to clip all your coupons. You can clip as you go. )
http://www.slickdeals.net/ This site can be a little confusing. But the forums are great. If you are looking for a deal... you'll find it here. You have to sign up to post but not to lurk. The forums will tell you the ins and outs of shopping for deals at places like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid to best take advantage of the coupon and rebate programs.
Search.Engine of your choice is the 3rd "site" that will save you $. (I vote swagbucks because it will reward you for searching.) Before you make a purchase online, check for a coupon code! I always do this and I love when I get free shipping or an extra 10% off on an item I was going to buy anyway.
I'm also a firm believer in price comparing. The most recent example is the serger thread I purchased this month. A person was selling off all her home business's craft supplies. She was selling Serger thread for $2 a cone plush shipping. Some were new and some were partially used cones. She wanted to ship flat rate.($11.35) Normally that is a good deal as they cost $4.50 each, but I decided to check it against retail. Jo-Ann's happened to be having a sale... Maxilock Serger thread was $2.29 a cone and other kind was $1.99 a cone. But a few second search, I found a free shipping code. It was cheaper to buy new on sale than used. I went with the better deal which was Jo-ann's. It is reasons like this that I always check before I buy.
If your going to spend money... spend the least amount possible to get what you want! Have a great Thrifty Day!
http://www.couponmom.com/ Coupon mom is a great website! It's been around for a long time. I first signed up in 2008 or so. It is FREE. This site matches internet coupons and Sunday paper coupons with sales in your area. It's very helpful so you can see what to stock up on. You can even print out a list! (The site tells you the date and what section the coupons were in. So you don't have to clip all your coupons. You can clip as you go. )
http://www.slickdeals.net/ This site can be a little confusing. But the forums are great. If you are looking for a deal... you'll find it here. You have to sign up to post but not to lurk. The forums will tell you the ins and outs of shopping for deals at places like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid to best take advantage of the coupon and rebate programs.
Search.Engine of your choice is the 3rd "site" that will save you $. (I vote swagbucks because it will reward you for searching.) Before you make a purchase online, check for a coupon code! I always do this and I love when I get free shipping or an extra 10% off on an item I was going to buy anyway.
I'm also a firm believer in price comparing. The most recent example is the serger thread I purchased this month. A person was selling off all her home business's craft supplies. She was selling Serger thread for $2 a cone plush shipping. Some were new and some were partially used cones. She wanted to ship flat rate.($11.35) Normally that is a good deal as they cost $4.50 each, but I decided to check it against retail. Jo-Ann's happened to be having a sale... Maxilock Serger thread was $2.29 a cone and other kind was $1.99 a cone. But a few second search, I found a free shipping code. It was cheaper to buy new on sale than used. I went with the better deal which was Jo-ann's. It is reasons like this that I always check before I buy.
If your going to spend money... spend the least amount possible to get what you want! Have a great Thrifty Day!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
A penny saved is a penny earned-have a budget
I like to think of being thrifty is not just not having what you want. A lifestyle of denial would not be any fun. Being thrifty is using your money wisely so you can have all the things you want and attain the financial goals you have set for yourself.
Although this year I'm trying to be a bit extreme about cutting spending, it is because I have certain goals of having a healthy savings and being debt free.
There are lots of ways a person can cut spending and not feel it. It is easy to waste a dollar here or a dollar there. All of that adds up to $100s of dollars at the end of the year. Where is the money going?
The first thing anyone should do that wants to save money is write out a budget. Compare what is going out and what is coming in. You can either cut what is going out or add to what is coming in. My husband is a salary employee. He can't work overtime and get paid any more.
We have made changes to what we pay out. We have very inexpensive car insurance. (We use USAA.) It is a good idea to compare rates. You should do it at least once at every renewal. It is really easy to get car insurance quotes online and it is worth your time to compare.
Got Cable? Why? You can watch TV on Hulu for free. It is one of those expenses that if you need to par down should be cut.
Phones... Price compare. Don't keep renewing your contract so you can get the latest and greatest new phone. Shop around. You can take your cell phone number with you to the next company. It might be CHEAPER to buy an ipod than pay for a phone with data for 2 years. (We have a wireless connection for our internet at the house.) We don't have a home phone. I have a cell with no data. My phone is over 3 years old and as many times as it has been dropped (thrown by the toddler), it still works great.
If you need help with a budget... I highly recommend you look into Dave Ramsey. He is my financial hero.
Although this year I'm trying to be a bit extreme about cutting spending, it is because I have certain goals of having a healthy savings and being debt free.
There are lots of ways a person can cut spending and not feel it. It is easy to waste a dollar here or a dollar there. All of that adds up to $100s of dollars at the end of the year. Where is the money going?
The first thing anyone should do that wants to save money is write out a budget. Compare what is going out and what is coming in. You can either cut what is going out or add to what is coming in. My husband is a salary employee. He can't work overtime and get paid any more.
We have made changes to what we pay out. We have very inexpensive car insurance. (We use USAA.) It is a good idea to compare rates. You should do it at least once at every renewal. It is really easy to get car insurance quotes online and it is worth your time to compare.
Got Cable? Why? You can watch TV on Hulu for free. It is one of those expenses that if you need to par down should be cut.
Phones... Price compare. Don't keep renewing your contract so you can get the latest and greatest new phone. Shop around. You can take your cell phone number with you to the next company. It might be CHEAPER to buy an ipod than pay for a phone with data for 2 years. (We have a wireless connection for our internet at the house.) We don't have a home phone. I have a cell with no data. My phone is over 3 years old and as many times as it has been dropped (thrown by the toddler), it still works great.
If you need help with a budget... I highly recommend you look into Dave Ramsey. He is my financial hero.
Friday, January 18, 2013
The 4 thrify vegetables for a budget
In my last post, I talked about how it was possible to have a meal for under $1 per person. So today, I thought I'd talk about vegetables. There are certain veggies that are great for extending a budget and can be used in a variety of recipes. I normally buy certain staple vegetables and then I buy other vegetables or fruit according to price/sales. My prices might be different than yours. We live in a pretty low cost of living area.
The Onion... I buy them by the bag BUT I always compare prices. Sometime it is cheaper to buy them individually than by the bag. I have a wooden potato box that has an onion drawer. It has vents in the back. These are normally found in the South in the US. I bought mine at an estate sale in Tennessee for under $5 many years ago. Onions are great because they add flavor. I normally can get a 3lb bag for $2.
The Potato... I think it has gotten a bad wrap from people. It is often considered unhealthy but it's not a fattening food! One medium potato only has 161 calories. It is a great extender and side dish. It can be baked, bbqed, broiled, fried, and put in soups. A potato is gluten free. It stores very well and doesn't require refrigeration. If you are trying to reduce your grocery budget, potatoes are something you should throw in the cart. I can get a 5lb bag for under $3.
The Carrot.... They are yummy raw or cooked. It doesn't matter what you are cooking because you can almost always throw some carrots in to extend it. Chop them into tiny little cubes and put them in your Spanish rice. Slice them into your favorite soup. Cut them into sticks or on the diagonal for an Asian stir-fry. Bake them with a little brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon for dessert or just a side dish your kids will actually eat. You can even grate them and add it to bread, spaghetti sauce, or casseroles. They are pretty cheap usually less than $1 a lb for regular carrots. Even if you buy the pre-cut waffle carrots or precut "baby" carrots in the bag, they are still a great deal! They are a very healthy "convenience" food.
The Celery ... It is another versatile veggie that is good raw or cooked. It adds flavor and is another great extender. It lasts a long time in the fridge. I use the leaves in gravy or places where I just want a light flavor. Celery gets added to casseroles, Asian stirfrys (depending), and to soups. I can buy bunch of stalks of celery for under $1.25. I'm not really sure if "bunch of stalks" is the right term for celery. But a head of celery doesn't seem right either.
Total cost is under $7! I buy them as needed so I might go through one celery every 2 to 3 weeks, potatoes 2 weeks to a month (Sometimes I buy 10lb bags or larger. I adjust what I cook so they all get used), carrots every 2 weeks (depending on if I buy a 2lb, 1lb, or "splurge" and buy a combo of baby carrots and regular), and 1 bag of onion lasts 3-4 weeks. I might buy them all at once or scattered through out the month.
*Tonight for dinner we will be having turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes casserole with a broccoli slaw. I'll be using all 4 of the budget veggies.
Approx cost.(I'm just guessing at some of the prices because I'm not going to get my scale out to weigh the onion, celery leaves etc to calculate the real % cost. It's probably over the true cost. For anything negligible I'm making it a penny. )
Casserole
$1.08 for turkey (see yesterdays blog)
$0.50 1/2 box of broth (I got it for $1 at the dollar tree. Free of MSG!)
$.05 some celery leaves
$.25 some onion
$.01 garlic powder (I bought a 1 lb container at the dollar tree.)
$.60 for 1 lb of potatoes (appox 5 med. potatoes)
$.12 for 2 tbs of butter. (I buy it in the box. for $2)
$.01 salt
$.01 pepper
$.01 pepperika
$.05 corn starch
Total $2.44
Broccoli Slaw
$. 30 Fresh Broccoli stems chopped into fine sticks.(I use the tops for other dishes and big stems for slaw or stirfrys. For me, being thrifty is trying not to waste something that is usable.)
$.20 2 carrots chopped into fine sticks.
$.18 Italian Dressing about 1/8 of a bottle. (I think I paid $1.50 for the bottle.)
Total $ 0.68
Dinner total $3.12 for a family of 4. Another meal for under a $1 a person! (I expect to have some leftovers from this meal so a lunch for 1 or 2 of us the following day. But I'm not going to calculate that in.)
The Onion... I buy them by the bag BUT I always compare prices. Sometime it is cheaper to buy them individually than by the bag. I have a wooden potato box that has an onion drawer. It has vents in the back. These are normally found in the South in the US. I bought mine at an estate sale in Tennessee for under $5 many years ago. Onions are great because they add flavor. I normally can get a 3lb bag for $2.
The Potato... I think it has gotten a bad wrap from people. It is often considered unhealthy but it's not a fattening food! One medium potato only has 161 calories. It is a great extender and side dish. It can be baked, bbqed, broiled, fried, and put in soups. A potato is gluten free. It stores very well and doesn't require refrigeration. If you are trying to reduce your grocery budget, potatoes are something you should throw in the cart. I can get a 5lb bag for under $3.
The Carrot.... They are yummy raw or cooked. It doesn't matter what you are cooking because you can almost always throw some carrots in to extend it. Chop them into tiny little cubes and put them in your Spanish rice. Slice them into your favorite soup. Cut them into sticks or on the diagonal for an Asian stir-fry. Bake them with a little brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon for dessert or just a side dish your kids will actually eat. You can even grate them and add it to bread, spaghetti sauce, or casseroles. They are pretty cheap usually less than $1 a lb for regular carrots. Even if you buy the pre-cut waffle carrots or precut "baby" carrots in the bag, they are still a great deal! They are a very healthy "convenience" food.
The Celery ... It is another versatile veggie that is good raw or cooked. It adds flavor and is another great extender. It lasts a long time in the fridge. I use the leaves in gravy or places where I just want a light flavor. Celery gets added to casseroles, Asian stirfrys (depending), and to soups. I can buy bunch of stalks of celery for under $1.25. I'm not really sure if "bunch of stalks" is the right term for celery. But a head of celery doesn't seem right either.
Total cost is under $7! I buy them as needed so I might go through one celery every 2 to 3 weeks, potatoes 2 weeks to a month (Sometimes I buy 10lb bags or larger. I adjust what I cook so they all get used), carrots every 2 weeks (depending on if I buy a 2lb, 1lb, or "splurge" and buy a combo of baby carrots and regular), and 1 bag of onion lasts 3-4 weeks. I might buy them all at once or scattered through out the month.
*Tonight for dinner we will be having turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes casserole with a broccoli slaw. I'll be using all 4 of the budget veggies.
Approx cost.(I'm just guessing at some of the prices because I'm not going to get my scale out to weigh the onion, celery leaves etc to calculate the real % cost. It's probably over the true cost. For anything negligible I'm making it a penny. )
Casserole
$1.08 for turkey (see yesterdays blog)
$0.50 1/2 box of broth (I got it for $1 at the dollar tree. Free of MSG!)
$.05 some celery leaves
$.25 some onion
$.01 garlic powder (I bought a 1 lb container at the dollar tree.)
$.60 for 1 lb of potatoes (appox 5 med. potatoes)
$.12 for 2 tbs of butter. (I buy it in the box. for $2)
$.01 salt
$.01 pepper
$.01 pepperika
$.05 corn starch
Total $2.44
Broccoli Slaw
$. 30 Fresh Broccoli stems chopped into fine sticks.(I use the tops for other dishes and big stems for slaw or stirfrys. For me, being thrifty is trying not to waste something that is usable.)
$.20 2 carrots chopped into fine sticks.
$.18 Italian Dressing about 1/8 of a bottle. (I think I paid $1.50 for the bottle.)
Total $ 0.68
Dinner total $3.12 for a family of 4. Another meal for under a $1 a person! (I expect to have some leftovers from this meal so a lunch for 1 or 2 of us the following day. But I'm not going to calculate that in.)
What's for your thrifty dinner?
So about 10 minutes before my husband got home, I realized I needed to cook dinner! Panic! This is normally when I would get out a warm wash cloth and clean the toddler's face off to make sure we were all presentable enough to go out to eat. But going out to eat can really add up. It's usually around $35 (including tip) to go to our favorite little Mexican Restaurant but that doesn't include a meal for the little one as she eats off our plates.
So I scrambled to make something quick. We had ham, sweet potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. We ate ham leftover from Christmas that I froze the leftovers. I threw it in the microwave for a minute and then heated it in a skillet. The sweet potatoes were from a can and I got it on sale for 82 cents. (It's a big can so that was 50% off.) The broccoli was frozen and only half the bag so maybe a dollar. I am guessing on the cost of the ham. I don't remember what I paid for it exactly...It was about $15. We ate Christmas dinner, the day after, froze 5 other portions for later meals, and made a broth =Total meals 8... So $15 divided by 8 is approximately $1.87 per meal for the ham.
$1.87 for ham
$0.82 for sweet potatoes
$1.00 for broccoli
-------------------------
$3.69 Grand total for dinner for a Family of 4! Less than $1 per person!
This is a great example of an easy thing a family can do to save $. Skip going out to eat and cook a meal!
I know... you don't happen to have any ham in your freezer. Well this month, I cooked a turkey! A 13lb turkey that cost $13. (It was 98 cents a lb so a little less than $13. I didn't buy it on sale! Gasp!)
We had 1 meal and then I froze 9 portions for other meals. (Approx 1 1/2 cups of turkey per portion. Perfect for adding to soup, noodles,casseroles, salads etc) Then I cooked up the carcass for a broth. I actually got enough broth for 2 soups! So the cost of the turkey per meal... ($13 divided by 12) $1.08! It's easy to cook a turkey! It provides plenty of leftovers, so you'll have the meat pre-cooked for quick and thrifty meals! You can use turkey in place of chicken in most recipes.
I'd rather eat at home of my own Dollar Menu!
Stay Thrifty!
So I scrambled to make something quick. We had ham, sweet potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. We ate ham leftover from Christmas that I froze the leftovers. I threw it in the microwave for a minute and then heated it in a skillet. The sweet potatoes were from a can and I got it on sale for 82 cents. (It's a big can so that was 50% off.) The broccoli was frozen and only half the bag so maybe a dollar. I am guessing on the cost of the ham. I don't remember what I paid for it exactly...It was about $15. We ate Christmas dinner, the day after, froze 5 other portions for later meals, and made a broth =Total meals 8... So $15 divided by 8 is approximately $1.87 per meal for the ham.
$1.87 for ham
$0.82 for sweet potatoes
$1.00 for broccoli
-------------------------
$3.69 Grand total for dinner for a Family of 4! Less than $1 per person!
This is a great example of an easy thing a family can do to save $. Skip going out to eat and cook a meal!
I know... you don't happen to have any ham in your freezer. Well this month, I cooked a turkey! A 13lb turkey that cost $13. (It was 98 cents a lb so a little less than $13. I didn't buy it on sale! Gasp!)
We had 1 meal and then I froze 9 portions for other meals. (Approx 1 1/2 cups of turkey per portion. Perfect for adding to soup, noodles,casseroles, salads etc) Then I cooked up the carcass for a broth. I actually got enough broth for 2 soups! So the cost of the turkey per meal... ($13 divided by 12) $1.08! It's easy to cook a turkey! It provides plenty of leftovers, so you'll have the meat pre-cooked for quick and thrifty meals! You can use turkey in place of chicken in most recipes.
I'd rather eat at home of my own Dollar Menu!
Stay Thrifty!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Baby needs a new pair of shoes
Okay so it wasn't the baby who needed shoes. My son who is 10 needed new shoes. His running shoes had holes in the soles and were cracking. I was a bad mom and didn't notice till yesterday how bad they were. He has a pair of Canvas type shoes to wear right now but they won't last like regular tennis type running shoes. I bought the canvas shoes last summer on clearance for $1. I bought them a few sizes too big and so now they fit!
It's winter so he needs new shoes. The canvas ones really won't last in rainy cold weather. How can I afford new shoes if I'm not going to spend any money from my budget? Have no fear... His new shoes were purchased last night and were shipped today from Amazon. I didn't spend 1 penny of our money to buy them!
HOW? I'm a swagbucker... er hmm... is that the term? I participate in Swagbucks. I had swaggbucked years ago. It was just a toolbar that I installed and occasionally got "points" called swagbucks from my normal searching. The points were never cashed out and I switched computers and forgot about it. Recently I read about it again on a forum. I decided to sign up... Guess what? Nearly 5 years later my account was still valid and my points were just sitting there! Plus the site had changed (Or perhaps I never discovered the full website? previously) I could now watch tv clips, do surveys, play games, shop, or do other things for points.
I re-started on Dec 21, 2012. I had 400 swagbucks just 50 shy of a $5 amazon gift card. By the end of the month, I had $25 worth of Amazon gift card. It is now Jan 16th (less than 1 month since I re-started) and I have cashed out another $25 worth of Amazon gift cards!
So now you know how I bought my son his new shoes without spending any money from our bank accounts!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/rdesonia
Now you can't get rich with Swagbucks but it can help pay for the little things here and there. If you want to sign up click the link. I'll get a little referral bonus. I'll get the same rewards a referred person gets up to 1000 swagbucks only on searchs. Normally you get 8 to 10 swagbucks a day or so from your random searches. So I only get anything if a person actually uses the site and the toolbar.
. (*I don't want people think I'm just trying to get them to sign up for something because I'll make a profit off them. At the moment, I have had one page view to my blog and that was my husband. So if anyone is reading this at some date in the future... I'm not recommending Swagbucks for my own profit. I'm recommending them because I really have cashed out prizes. It's not a pyramid scam where a person gets huge bonuses for recruiting others. Swagbucks doesn't charge you anything to sign up. And if you want, you can go directly to the site and sign up if you don't want me to get a referral bonus.)
Have a great day and stay thrifty!
It's winter so he needs new shoes. The canvas ones really won't last in rainy cold weather. How can I afford new shoes if I'm not going to spend any money from my budget? Have no fear... His new shoes were purchased last night and were shipped today from Amazon. I didn't spend 1 penny of our money to buy them!
HOW? I'm a swagbucker... er hmm... is that the term? I participate in Swagbucks. I had swaggbucked years ago. It was just a toolbar that I installed and occasionally got "points" called swagbucks from my normal searching. The points were never cashed out and I switched computers and forgot about it. Recently I read about it again on a forum. I decided to sign up... Guess what? Nearly 5 years later my account was still valid and my points were just sitting there! Plus the site had changed (Or perhaps I never discovered the full website? previously) I could now watch tv clips, do surveys, play games, shop, or do other things for points.
I re-started on Dec 21, 2012. I had 400 swagbucks just 50 shy of a $5 amazon gift card. By the end of the month, I had $25 worth of Amazon gift card. It is now Jan 16th (less than 1 month since I re-started) and I have cashed out another $25 worth of Amazon gift cards!
So now you know how I bought my son his new shoes without spending any money from our bank accounts!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/rdesonia
Now you can't get rich with Swagbucks but it can help pay for the little things here and there. If you want to sign up click the link. I'll get a little referral bonus. I'll get the same rewards a referred person gets up to 1000 swagbucks only on searchs. Normally you get 8 to 10 swagbucks a day or so from your random searches. So I only get anything if a person actually uses the site and the toolbar.
. (*I don't want people think I'm just trying to get them to sign up for something because I'll make a profit off them. At the moment, I have had one page view to my blog and that was my husband. So if anyone is reading this at some date in the future... I'm not recommending Swagbucks for my own profit. I'm recommending them because I really have cashed out prizes. It's not a pyramid scam where a person gets huge bonuses for recruiting others. Swagbucks doesn't charge you anything to sign up. And if you want, you can go directly to the site and sign up if you don't want me to get a referral bonus.)
Have a great day and stay thrifty!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Don't throw your $ away
In the fast pace of life today, there are lots of disposable/single serve products. These products can often be less thrifty than their reusable counterparts. Sometimes it is worth it to pay extra for convenience and sometimes it is worth to put in extra time to reuse and save $.
I cloth diaper my little girl. I didn't cloth diaper my son and I wish I had. I love the savings and the lack of landfill trash that comes with cloth diapering. She uses "pocket" diapers. They are diapers that have a waterproof cover and are stuffed with a microfiber (or other) insert. They wash up great. They don't have stains, stink, and are easy to use. There are many different types of modern cloth diapers that don't involve safety pins or dunking/swooshing in a toilet. (I have a diaper sprayer to spay off any yuckies before I wash them) She is 18 months old and her diapers were paid for in the first 4 months of use! Other than the minimal laundry cost, I've been cloth diapering her for free for the past 15 months! I made flannel wipes that I just wash with the diapers.
There is a 2nd benefit to cloth diapering... I can diaper my next child for free or I can sell the used diapers. Yes people buy used diapers! You can't resell disposable diapers or reuse them on the next child.
Unpapertowels... That's the funny little term that some people use for cloth towels used in a kitchen. Overtime paper towels can really add up. Having rags in the kitchen to clean up spills or towels to dry clean hands are a great way to extend your budget.(Have a lone sock that's mate was eaten by the dryer, a holey t-shirt, or fraying washrags.... send them down to your kitchen for reuse)
Napkins... Cloth napkins were very common years ago. Cloth napkins are great if you have kids. They always need their face wiped!
Reusable menstrual products...So every month, lots of women need to use something. It's a predictable part of life for many. There are cups and cloth pads. Plenty of options that are washable and reusable if you are open to trying them.
These are just a few things that can be reused to cut expenses. (Oh and they help the environment if your into that.)
Monday, January 14, 2013
The New Year Resolution
My new year's resolution this year was to have a "No Spend" year. I want to curb my spending habits and save as much as possible. I want to declutter my life.
Now you may be thinking... how can a person not spend any money in a year? Okay do no spending is impossible. The rent will be paid, groceries bought, and hygiene supplies will be bought.
However for all other items (besides food, gas for the car, hygiene, or household cleaning products. I'm going to not buy them unless I sell something to fund it or earn from home. I'm a happy housewife with a toddler and ten year old. This should be interesting.
To start this adventure ... I sold a few things on Ebay before the year started to have a little in my paypal acct to start the year with. I also sew and have a craft room full of fabric. That puts me at an advantage over other thrifty moms. (However I plan to add a few no-sew alternatives to my suggestions. )
Since today is the 14th of Jan ... I have a late start sharing my little adventure.
So far I bought $27 worth of Serger thread on Sale at Joann's at the beginning of the year. It was 50% off with free shipping. I just got my serger for Christmas so I only had 3 colors. (White, black, and pink) I also found a heater on clearance for $7. Normally it cost $36! We needed a heater in our bathroom. I'm on budget with my grocery/hygiene/household spending.
My challenges are...
I love Fabric. It's a weakness.
We have diet issues so we eat low purine and gluten free.
My DD is very attached to her mommy. She is still breastfed, takes naps while I hold her, and in general is not happy unless she has my full attention.She has never been in the care of a babysitter and we don't have family close enough to watch her.
So can I do it?
Hopefully every day I'll tell you things I've done or am doing to be thrifty. I'll also update you on my spending and "at home earning".
Wish me lots of luck and logic!
Now you may be thinking... how can a person not spend any money in a year? Okay do no spending is impossible. The rent will be paid, groceries bought, and hygiene supplies will be bought.
However for all other items (besides food, gas for the car, hygiene, or household cleaning products. I'm going to not buy them unless I sell something to fund it or earn from home. I'm a happy housewife with a toddler and ten year old. This should be interesting.
To start this adventure ... I sold a few things on Ebay before the year started to have a little in my paypal acct to start the year with. I also sew and have a craft room full of fabric. That puts me at an advantage over other thrifty moms. (However I plan to add a few no-sew alternatives to my suggestions. )
Since today is the 14th of Jan ... I have a late start sharing my little adventure.
So far I bought $27 worth of Serger thread on Sale at Joann's at the beginning of the year. It was 50% off with free shipping. I just got my serger for Christmas so I only had 3 colors. (White, black, and pink) I also found a heater on clearance for $7. Normally it cost $36! We needed a heater in our bathroom. I'm on budget with my grocery/hygiene/household spending.
My challenges are...
I love Fabric. It's a weakness.
We have diet issues so we eat low purine and gluten free.
My DD is very attached to her mommy. She is still breastfed, takes naps while I hold her, and in general is not happy unless she has my full attention.She has never been in the care of a babysitter and we don't have family close enough to watch her.
So can I do it?
Hopefully every day I'll tell you things I've done or am doing to be thrifty. I'll also update you on my spending and "at home earning".
Wish me lots of luck and logic!
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