Saturday, July 10, 2010
In the past week or so, daily morning shoes like Good Morning America and Today have been encouraging consumers to take advantage of sales and venture out to spend money in retail. They also mentioned that July is the best month of the year to purchase clothing, in particular. The retailers are clearancing everything out so that they can make room for back-to-school clothing, shoes and accessories.
My husband and I decided to load up the baby and put their stories to the test.
We began at Target. Target, indeed, had hundreds of items on sale. Most of their summer sandals are 50% off, many home furnishing items were clearanced, and some of their patio furniture was up to 75% off. The aisle end-caps were brimming with clearance items in all departments. I had been keeping my eye on a piece of layered canvas wall decor. The canvas is pink, cream, and teal with three small birds painted on it. The canvas retailed for $24.99. I purchased it for $6.48!
Then, on to Dillard's. My husband was interested in purchasing a new pair of black dress slacks, a pair of brown dress shoes, and a couple of button-down shirts for the office. Dillard's had excellent sales on the things we were looking to purchase, most of their shirts being 70% off. We purcashed a Roundtree & Yorke button-down dress shirt for my husband for $12.00! Although we didn't purchase any of these items, all of Dillard's luggage items were on sale for 50% off, and they have some beautiful things!
Let's try Macy's. Macy's ended up carrying every item my husband was interested in purchasing. The slacks he needed were originally $80 on sale for $40. The shoes he liked were $90 on sale for $59.99.
We were anticipating spending around $200 for everything he needed to purchase this weekend. We walked away spending around $125 for everything. Surprise!
World Market send me an email this morning enticing me with a free tote bag with every $10 purchase. Ooooh!
I guess the network morning shows are on to something! Take advantage of deep mark-downs and get started on back-to-school shopping now!
Showing posts with label saving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saving. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Setting Up Your Budget
Friday, April 9, 2010
Setting up a budget is the best way to monitor how much money is coming in versus how much is going out each month. Today, I will help you customize your budget to meet your individual needs, and maximize your income. This can be helpful whether you are trying to stay home with your children, already staying home with your children, or you are just wondering what we all wonder, “Where does all of my money go?!”
Using Microsoft Excel, set up columns starting with A for Expense Name, B for usernames and passwords, and C, D, E, etc. for the months of the year. Set up the rows starting with row 3 for your monthly cyclical bills such as mortgage, cell phone payment, electricity, etc. After you are finished listing the cyclical bills that change from month-to-month, add bills that you incur each month like vehicle gas, groceries, entertainment, and clothing.
Once you have set up your spreadsheet, pull your online banking statement up, and print one month’s worth of banking statements. For example, March 1st – April 1st. The easiest way to single out expenses is with a colored highlighter. Highlight all grocery trips with pink, all gas expenses with yellow, etc. Add all of the pink expenses for one month together to figure out what you are spending on groceries. Add all yellow line items to pinpoint what you are spending in gas, and so on. Do this for every single line item on the statement. If you have rare expenses like vehicle registration, it is a good idea to budget a certain amount of money as “miscellaneous” in your budget. This way, nothing is truly a surprise if you budget for it.
At the bottom of your spreadsheet, add a “TOTAL” row. Add all of your expenses in the “March” column and put the total in your “Total” row. Below the total, add a row for “INCOME.” Put your monthly income in the row. Add a “LEFTOVER” row below the Income row. Subtract the TOTAL from the INCOME and this will be what you have for savings, or emergency situations every month after everything has been paid for.
The most important thing is to be realistic about your budget. Don’t cheap out if you REALLY spend $200 on clothing each month and put “$100” as this is not a realistic view of your spending.
If you look over your bank statement and see that you spend $400 on entertainment and eating out, perhaps you’d rather cut this line item to $300 and eat in or rent movies more often. There are a lot of ways to trim your expenses once you know what they are!
Take a couple of hours and sit down to put your budget on paper. You will sleep easier knowing precisely where your money is going and how you can keep more of that money in your pocket!
Setting up a budget is the best way to monitor how much money is coming in versus how much is going out each month. Today, I will help you customize your budget to meet your individual needs, and maximize your income. This can be helpful whether you are trying to stay home with your children, already staying home with your children, or you are just wondering what we all wonder, “Where does all of my money go?!”
Using Microsoft Excel, set up columns starting with A for Expense Name, B for usernames and passwords, and C, D, E, etc. for the months of the year. Set up the rows starting with row 3 for your monthly cyclical bills such as mortgage, cell phone payment, electricity, etc. After you are finished listing the cyclical bills that change from month-to-month, add bills that you incur each month like vehicle gas, groceries, entertainment, and clothing.
Once you have set up your spreadsheet, pull your online banking statement up, and print one month’s worth of banking statements. For example, March 1st – April 1st. The easiest way to single out expenses is with a colored highlighter. Highlight all grocery trips with pink, all gas expenses with yellow, etc. Add all of the pink expenses for one month together to figure out what you are spending on groceries. Add all yellow line items to pinpoint what you are spending in gas, and so on. Do this for every single line item on the statement. If you have rare expenses like vehicle registration, it is a good idea to budget a certain amount of money as “miscellaneous” in your budget. This way, nothing is truly a surprise if you budget for it.
At the bottom of your spreadsheet, add a “TOTAL” row. Add all of your expenses in the “March” column and put the total in your “Total” row. Below the total, add a row for “INCOME.” Put your monthly income in the row. Add a “LEFTOVER” row below the Income row. Subtract the TOTAL from the INCOME and this will be what you have for savings, or emergency situations every month after everything has been paid for.
The most important thing is to be realistic about your budget. Don’t cheap out if you REALLY spend $200 on clothing each month and put “$100” as this is not a realistic view of your spending.
If you look over your bank statement and see that you spend $400 on entertainment and eating out, perhaps you’d rather cut this line item to $300 and eat in or rent movies more often. There are a lot of ways to trim your expenses once you know what they are!
Take a couple of hours and sit down to put your budget on paper. You will sleep easier knowing precisely where your money is going and how you can keep more of that money in your pocket!
Friday, April 2, 2010
I'm on a savings HIGH!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Okay, so Garage Saling today was a bust. We knew it was going to rain, but didn't think people would actually BACK OUT of the garage sales they had already applied for permits for, but whatever - we will try it again in a couple of weeks.
Instead, we decided to spend an hour or so at Kohl's because of the coupons that we had accumulated in the last couple of weeks. Here's how it came out for me:
1 shirt for Easter Sunday $38 on sale for $21.99
1 set of summer pajamas for my toddler $20 on sale for $9
1 blingy ring $20 on sale for $7.99 + 20% off of jewelry = $6.39
1 fabric hair flower $10 on sale for $4.50
TOTAL: $88 on sale for $41.88
$10 off coupon = $31.88
15% off total purchase coupon = $4.79
Kohl's tax free (9%) savings = $2.44
TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE: $26.68
It states right on my receipt that I saved $63.35. So basically, I got my four items for LESS than the retail price of my shirt, or for roughly the retail price of toddler pajamas. WHAT?! As the lady on the IKEA commercial says, "START THE CAR!"
In recent months, Kohl's has saved me more money than any other store that I frequent. Of course, I frequent a lot of discount stores like Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx, so it is often difficult to pinpoint exactly how much you saved off of retail prices, but I'm sure it is always significant. However, my savings at Kohl's is written in black and white on my receipt and I am on a high!!
Good Friday was GREAT Friday this year!
Okay, so Garage Saling today was a bust. We knew it was going to rain, but didn't think people would actually BACK OUT of the garage sales they had already applied for permits for, but whatever - we will try it again in a couple of weeks.
Instead, we decided to spend an hour or so at Kohl's because of the coupons that we had accumulated in the last couple of weeks. Here's how it came out for me:
1 shirt for Easter Sunday $38 on sale for $21.99
1 set of summer pajamas for my toddler $20 on sale for $9
1 blingy ring $20 on sale for $7.99 + 20% off of jewelry = $6.39
1 fabric hair flower $10 on sale for $4.50
TOTAL: $88 on sale for $41.88
$10 off coupon = $31.88
15% off total purchase coupon = $4.79
Kohl's tax free (9%) savings = $2.44
TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE: $26.68
It states right on my receipt that I saved $63.35. So basically, I got my four items for LESS than the retail price of my shirt, or for roughly the retail price of toddler pajamas. WHAT?! As the lady on the IKEA commercial says, "START THE CAR!"
In recent months, Kohl's has saved me more money than any other store that I frequent. Of course, I frequent a lot of discount stores like Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx, so it is often difficult to pinpoint exactly how much you saved off of retail prices, but I'm sure it is always significant. However, my savings at Kohl's is written in black and white on my receipt and I am on a high!!
Good Friday was GREAT Friday this year!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Coupons and their potential...
Monday, March 29, 2010
As I was clipping coupons in the Sunday Paper this morning, I was reminded of a segment on Nightline that impacted me heavily. This story struck me so hard, in fact, that I couldn’t fall asleep, and in turn, relayed it to my husband, mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law.
I just couldn’t believe the savings that these two coupon-gurus were finding. A couple of things that were memorable to me:
*Arrive at the grocery store prepared with coupons that correspond with the items on your shopping list.
*Don’t forget your Catalina coupons – those that print out after you have paid for your items.
*Stocking up on an item that is on sale AND you have a coupon for could leave you with more money than you entered the store with. *(WHAT?!)*
Firstly, I have mentioned in previous blogs that I purchase store-brand products almost exclusively. Better said – if a store brand is available, that’s what I choose, save ketchup and Cheerios. However, I am re-thinking my strategy completely after watching this segment. The savings that they achieve is stunning, and you will be amazed when you watch it as well.
Secondly, I have found that Wal-Mart offers the lowest prices of any grocery store in my area. However, they are less likely (in my experience) to offer sales on items that I purchase regularly. Their prices are steadfast and if you offer the lowest prices around, what’s the need to put these items on sale? Having watched the Nightline segment, I may try my hand at other supermarkets that offer weekly sales on commonly purchased items.
Watch the Nightline segment – it will completely change your view of couponing and grocery shopping!
As I was clipping coupons in the Sunday Paper this morning, I was reminded of a segment on Nightline that impacted me heavily. This story struck me so hard, in fact, that I couldn’t fall asleep, and in turn, relayed it to my husband, mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law.
I just couldn’t believe the savings that these two coupon-gurus were finding. A couple of things that were memorable to me:
*Arrive at the grocery store prepared with coupons that correspond with the items on your shopping list.
*Don’t forget your Catalina coupons – those that print out after you have paid for your items.
*Stocking up on an item that is on sale AND you have a coupon for could leave you with more money than you entered the store with. *(WHAT?!)*
Firstly, I have mentioned in previous blogs that I purchase store-brand products almost exclusively. Better said – if a store brand is available, that’s what I choose, save ketchup and Cheerios. However, I am re-thinking my strategy completely after watching this segment. The savings that they achieve is stunning, and you will be amazed when you watch it as well.
Secondly, I have found that Wal-Mart offers the lowest prices of any grocery store in my area. However, they are less likely (in my experience) to offer sales on items that I purchase regularly. Their prices are steadfast and if you offer the lowest prices around, what’s the need to put these items on sale? Having watched the Nightline segment, I may try my hand at other supermarkets that offer weekly sales on commonly purchased items.
Watch the Nightline segment – it will completely change your view of couponing and grocery shopping!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
New clothes for everyone!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I absolutely love to shop – I could do it every day! I am always looking for great prices on clothing for my toddler, Emily, and the rest of the family. I have found a few tricks as to how to shop smart, and keep the family from going naked or sporting those high-water pants we all know and love. I’m here to let you in on the secret!
Truth be told, it’s more common sense, but while you are busy thinking of every last detail of EVERYTHING else, you may have overlooked it.
Let’s talk about the little ones first: When you run in to Target for some milk and diapers, take a quick swing past the clearance clothing. Target is AWESOME about putting children’s clothing on clearance from 30% to 75% off. The clothes that are going on clearance, however, are usually the season that just ended. So how can you possibly buy this stuff? BUY NEXT YEAR’S! For example, Emily is a December baby. So she will be 1, 2,3 years old in the Winter. When Fall/Winter clothing goes on clearance, I purchase next year’s (don’t tell my husband!) clothing for prices that are UNREAL! When Spring/Summer clothing goes on clearance, I will buy clothing for next year as well. This saves you money, but also keeps you from the panic that you feel when you dress them in those jeans that fit last week, and are now cropped. Oops!
Before doing this, try to “look into your crystal ball” and determine if your child is true-to-size or if they are deliciously chubby or more petite. This will help you buy clothing that will actually fit them when the time comes.
Now for the big kids: The good news is…the same concept applies for you and your husband (or wife.) The bad news is…I am a little bit more hesitant to purchase things and then find that they are too small (or too big) by the time I’m ready to wear them. This isn’t a savings OR a self-esteem booster! If you remain constant in your sizing, you have no worries.
This is also something that you can apply to your life if you are planning to have a baby, as well. Kohl’s and Target are wonderful about putting their maternity clothing on clearance for prices that are too good to pass up. I was VERY pregnant in the winter, so I have mostly warm maternity clothing. If I were to have a summer or fall baby next time, I will need some things that coordinate with the season.
Keep these things in mind as you do your shopping. Keep your eyes out for things that are staples, or stuff that is just too cute to pass up. You are sure to save money and pick up some amazing deals at the same time!
Please visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio!
I absolutely love to shop – I could do it every day! I am always looking for great prices on clothing for my toddler, Emily, and the rest of the family. I have found a few tricks as to how to shop smart, and keep the family from going naked or sporting those high-water pants we all know and love. I’m here to let you in on the secret!
Truth be told, it’s more common sense, but while you are busy thinking of every last detail of EVERYTHING else, you may have overlooked it.
Let’s talk about the little ones first: When you run in to Target for some milk and diapers, take a quick swing past the clearance clothing. Target is AWESOME about putting children’s clothing on clearance from 30% to 75% off. The clothes that are going on clearance, however, are usually the season that just ended. So how can you possibly buy this stuff? BUY NEXT YEAR’S! For example, Emily is a December baby. So she will be 1, 2,3 years old in the Winter. When Fall/Winter clothing goes on clearance, I purchase next year’s (don’t tell my husband!) clothing for prices that are UNREAL! When Spring/Summer clothing goes on clearance, I will buy clothing for next year as well. This saves you money, but also keeps you from the panic that you feel when you dress them in those jeans that fit last week, and are now cropped. Oops!
Before doing this, try to “look into your crystal ball” and determine if your child is true-to-size or if they are deliciously chubby or more petite. This will help you buy clothing that will actually fit them when the time comes.
Now for the big kids: The good news is…the same concept applies for you and your husband (or wife.) The bad news is…I am a little bit more hesitant to purchase things and then find that they are too small (or too big) by the time I’m ready to wear them. This isn’t a savings OR a self-esteem booster! If you remain constant in your sizing, you have no worries.
This is also something that you can apply to your life if you are planning to have a baby, as well. Kohl’s and Target are wonderful about putting their maternity clothing on clearance for prices that are too good to pass up. I was VERY pregnant in the winter, so I have mostly warm maternity clothing. If I were to have a summer or fall baby next time, I will need some things that coordinate with the season.
Keep these things in mind as you do your shopping. Keep your eyes out for things that are staples, or stuff that is just too cute to pass up. You are sure to save money and pick up some amazing deals at the same time!
Please visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Gap
Just a reminder:
If you didn't sign up for Old Navy's web coupons, or Banana Republic's, or Gap's, you're missing a coupon for 30% off of your ENTIRE PURCHASE today through Sunday.
I went to Old Navy this morning and purchased $50 worth of clothing and shoes, and walked out having only spent $35.00.
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
If you didn't sign up for Old Navy's web coupons, or Banana Republic's, or Gap's, you're missing a coupon for 30% off of your ENTIRE PURCHASE today through Sunday.
I went to Old Navy this morning and purchased $50 worth of clothing and shoes, and walked out having only spent $35.00.
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
Monday, March 15, 2010
99 Cents Only Store!
Monday, March 15, 2010
When I comprise my list for grocery shopping, I usually need to shop three stores in order to complete my list. I could get everything that I need at a discount price by shopping at Wal-Mart, but I have chosen to try and start my shopping at Big Lots and the 99 Cents Only stores before I complete my shopping at Wal-Mart. I have already told you how FABULOUS Big Lots is for discount groceries and baby items. So, today we need to talk about the 99 Cents Only store!
Visit www.99only.com to find the store nearest you!
I was first introduced to the 99 Cents Only store when I moved back to the North Texas area in 2005. My Mom was helping me start my professional life and set up my new apartment. I was a bit overwhelmed with the cost of everything that you need when starting out. For example…a plunger. You never even THINK about needing a plunger until you desperately need one!
So, my Mom dragged me, willingly, to the 99 Cents Only store. This particular store is like a dollar store on steroids! They carry name-brand and off-brand grocery items, storage items, health and beauty products, gift wrap, cleaning supplies, and BEST OF ALL…PRODUCE! Their stock is constantly changing and is different from one week to the next. I typically buy as many fresh produce items as I can at the 99 Cents Only store. A bag of purple onions for $.99. A bag of avocados for $.99. A shrink-wrapped package of cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. all for $.99. Two pounds of jalapenos for $.99. Their prices are just awesome, and I always leave feeling like I’ve just robbed the place! Give it a try – especially if you shop for a lot of children’s snack foods and lunch-packing foods. Their assortment of soda is something that they always carry. Four cans of soda for $.99 and their variety is sometimes overwhelming! Party supplies and gift bags/wrap is another thing that they carry an endless supply of. I could go on and on. Give them a try – the savings will be incredible!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio! You KNOW you want to!
When I comprise my list for grocery shopping, I usually need to shop three stores in order to complete my list. I could get everything that I need at a discount price by shopping at Wal-Mart, but I have chosen to try and start my shopping at Big Lots and the 99 Cents Only stores before I complete my shopping at Wal-Mart. I have already told you how FABULOUS Big Lots is for discount groceries and baby items. So, today we need to talk about the 99 Cents Only store!
Visit www.99only.com to find the store nearest you!
I was first introduced to the 99 Cents Only store when I moved back to the North Texas area in 2005. My Mom was helping me start my professional life and set up my new apartment. I was a bit overwhelmed with the cost of everything that you need when starting out. For example…a plunger. You never even THINK about needing a plunger until you desperately need one!
So, my Mom dragged me, willingly, to the 99 Cents Only store. This particular store is like a dollar store on steroids! They carry name-brand and off-brand grocery items, storage items, health and beauty products, gift wrap, cleaning supplies, and BEST OF ALL…PRODUCE! Their stock is constantly changing and is different from one week to the next. I typically buy as many fresh produce items as I can at the 99 Cents Only store. A bag of purple onions for $.99. A bag of avocados for $.99. A shrink-wrapped package of cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. all for $.99. Two pounds of jalapenos for $.99. Their prices are just awesome, and I always leave feeling like I’ve just robbed the place! Give it a try – especially if you shop for a lot of children’s snack foods and lunch-packing foods. Their assortment of soda is something that they always carry. Four cans of soda for $.99 and their variety is sometimes overwhelming! Party supplies and gift bags/wrap is another thing that they carry an endless supply of. I could go on and on. Give them a try – the savings will be incredible!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio! You KNOW you want to!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Three things...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
If you haven't signed up, here's what you're missing:
1. Bath and Body Works - a free lip care product with any purchase!
2. World Market is offering all of their dining furniture at a discount - up to 50% off!!
3. Sign up for Big Lots' Buzz Club and see their ad for this week - FABULOUS deals on Serta mattresses this week!
You're welcome!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
If you haven't signed up, here's what you're missing:
1. Bath and Body Works - a free lip care product with any purchase!
2. World Market is offering all of their dining furniture at a discount - up to 50% off!!
3. Sign up for Big Lots' Buzz Club and see their ad for this week - FABULOUS deals on Serta mattresses this week!
You're welcome!
Visit Lindsay Walker's Piano and Voice Studio. You KNOW you want to!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Coupons!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
As we ventured out for some Saturday errands, my blog topic slapped me in the face. STORE COUPONS! Because I shop mostly store brand items for groceries, it is rare that a grocery coupon comes in handy for me. I also receive many online offers from stores that I patronize frequently. However, I find myself checking those emails daily and deleting them. I most often delete them because I don’t think that the coupons offer truly great “deals.” However, there are three stores that I frequent who, I believe, offer truly remarkable savings, and they offer this savings often.
The first is Big Lots. If you have never shopped at Big Lots (or Job Lots) YOU ARE MISSING OUT! They carry name brand furniture, home décor, baby items, children’s items, groceries, health and beauty, and toiletries at MAJOR discounts. Once you are a member of their “buzz club”, you receive the weekly advertisement in advance and occasional email coupons for 20% off of your entire purchase on a Sunday afternoon. You also receive a swipe card when you become a buzz club member. Once you spend $40 or more 10 times, your next purchase is 20% off as well. Because I have a young child at home, the most remarkable savings has been for baby food and oatmeal. Big Lots carries a variety of name-brand baby food for ½ of the price found in grocery stores. This is the case with most items that Big Lots carries. It truly pays to be a wise consumer and know the prices that you pay for the things that you buy often. Most things are a true value (110 zip lock sandwich bags for $2) but there is the occasional product that is not a good value. It is important to recognize these products.
The second store is World Market. We have purchased many of our home furnishings from World Market and have found that they make superior furniture for very reasonable prices. They will email you when they are running a sale on a certain piece/set of furniture so that you, as a rewards member, will learn about the “hot items” before the public does. This has proven to be a true value on many occasions for our family. They will also email the occasional 20% off your entire purchase coupon.
The final store that proves to be of real value to me as I work to find ways to stretch our money is Kohl’s. As a rewards member, I received a coupon for 15% off my entire purchase last Friday-Sunday. If you spend over $100, you receive %20 off your purchase! We usually shop the clearance racks, and Kohl’s is very diligent about 60% and 70% off of the regular price for clearance items. Today, my husband purchased a jacket, an argyle sweater, two casual long-sleeve t-shirts, and a button-down dress shirt for $30!!! These were all clearance items and we received 15% off our entire purchase. I am very pleased with the results today. Become rewards members – it is free to delete emails out of your inbox that do not meet your needs, but the occasional email is truly valuable.
As we ventured out for some Saturday errands, my blog topic slapped me in the face. STORE COUPONS! Because I shop mostly store brand items for groceries, it is rare that a grocery coupon comes in handy for me. I also receive many online offers from stores that I patronize frequently. However, I find myself checking those emails daily and deleting them. I most often delete them because I don’t think that the coupons offer truly great “deals.” However, there are three stores that I frequent who, I believe, offer truly remarkable savings, and they offer this savings often.
The first is Big Lots. If you have never shopped at Big Lots (or Job Lots) YOU ARE MISSING OUT! They carry name brand furniture, home décor, baby items, children’s items, groceries, health and beauty, and toiletries at MAJOR discounts. Once you are a member of their “buzz club”, you receive the weekly advertisement in advance and occasional email coupons for 20% off of your entire purchase on a Sunday afternoon. You also receive a swipe card when you become a buzz club member. Once you spend $40 or more 10 times, your next purchase is 20% off as well. Because I have a young child at home, the most remarkable savings has been for baby food and oatmeal. Big Lots carries a variety of name-brand baby food for ½ of the price found in grocery stores. This is the case with most items that Big Lots carries. It truly pays to be a wise consumer and know the prices that you pay for the things that you buy often. Most things are a true value (110 zip lock sandwich bags for $2) but there is the occasional product that is not a good value. It is important to recognize these products.
The second store is World Market. We have purchased many of our home furnishings from World Market and have found that they make superior furniture for very reasonable prices. They will email you when they are running a sale on a certain piece/set of furniture so that you, as a rewards member, will learn about the “hot items” before the public does. This has proven to be a true value on many occasions for our family. They will also email the occasional 20% off your entire purchase coupon.
The final store that proves to be of real value to me as I work to find ways to stretch our money is Kohl’s. As a rewards member, I received a coupon for 15% off my entire purchase last Friday-Sunday. If you spend over $100, you receive %20 off your purchase! We usually shop the clearance racks, and Kohl’s is very diligent about 60% and 70% off of the regular price for clearance items. Today, my husband purchased a jacket, an argyle sweater, two casual long-sleeve t-shirts, and a button-down dress shirt for $30!!! These were all clearance items and we received 15% off our entire purchase. I am very pleased with the results today. Become rewards members – it is free to delete emails out of your inbox that do not meet your needs, but the occasional email is truly valuable.
Saving at the Grocery store
Friday, February 25, 2010
Let’s talk bargains! My favorite subject!! I am always looking for steals and clearance items. This week, I found my deals at Target – my home away from home. I noticed that they had replaced the “holiday aisles” (I’m waiting impatiently for them to unveil Global Bazaar) with a new concept that involves a consolidated section for clearance and some weekly specials. I don’t normally mess around with 30% off bargains, as I’d rather they quit messing around and give me the 75% off that they are going to eventually get to. However, for the past 2 weeks, Target has had their signature brand, Market Pantry 100% Pure Apple Juice on clearance for $2.08 for a two-pack of 64oz. bottles. I decided that $1.04 for a bottle of apple juice is a very good deal – rivaling the savings that you find when you buy concentrate. So…I bought a few! The juice is regularly inexpensive at around $4 for a two-pack, but I’ll take whatever savings I can get, especially since we’ve been drinking apple juice like it’s youth serum around here!
The other item that I found to be a particularly good savings was an economy-size box of Nabisco Triscuits. The box contains (4) bags of Triscuts for $4.18. When a box of crackers runs me nearly $3, I found $1 per bag to be a real savings. Happy shopping!
Let’s talk bargains! My favorite subject!! I am always looking for steals and clearance items. This week, I found my deals at Target – my home away from home. I noticed that they had replaced the “holiday aisles” (I’m waiting impatiently for them to unveil Global Bazaar) with a new concept that involves a consolidated section for clearance and some weekly specials. I don’t normally mess around with 30% off bargains, as I’d rather they quit messing around and give me the 75% off that they are going to eventually get to. However, for the past 2 weeks, Target has had their signature brand, Market Pantry 100% Pure Apple Juice on clearance for $2.08 for a two-pack of 64oz. bottles. I decided that $1.04 for a bottle of apple juice is a very good deal – rivaling the savings that you find when you buy concentrate. So…I bought a few! The juice is regularly inexpensive at around $4 for a two-pack, but I’ll take whatever savings I can get, especially since we’ve been drinking apple juice like it’s youth serum around here!
The other item that I found to be a particularly good savings was an economy-size box of Nabisco Triscuits. The box contains (4) bags of Triscuts for $4.18. When a box of crackers runs me nearly $3, I found $1 per bag to be a real savings. Happy shopping!
Baby Necessities
Thursday, February, 24, 2010
I think I’ll kick things off with the things that I have found most helpful in my adventures as a first time Mom. As we all know, EVERYONE wants to share their war stories and must-haves when you are expecting. This is a practical account of the things that have saved my butt on numerous occasions. Of course, everyone wants to talk about the most fabulous cradle and bouncy seat. Well, Emily would sleep in a pile of dirt if I’d let her. So, let’s not worry with the obvious stuff. Everyone’s going to buy a play yard and a crib. So, what do you ACTUALLY need? A cart cover! That thing is so amazing, I’m not even kidding. My cart cover is a Kozypal and it is AMAZING. You can purchase them from retailers like Target for around $25. I checked in with Melissa at Kozypal for a few weeks and found that she was having a fabulous sale. I got my $62 cart cover for $35! The small compartments that the cover has, the loops for hanging keys or toys, and the easy elastic ties make my cart cover my favorite baby product thus far. I use my cart cover nearly every day and I highly recommend them if your child is anything like mine – chewing the metal on any cart she can wrap her teeth around!
My second favorite baby product has to be my sling. They are available in much more fun colors and patterns than they have been in the past, and they come in very handy when you have a newborn/infant. I never quite mastered the “vacuum with ease” aspect, but I still love my sling! It offers hands-free shopping and your baby can sleep nestled close to you, or ride around on your hip while your hands are both free. My sling is a product of Babies ‘R Us and ran around $40. I found that I could more easily slide into my sling than I could maneuver my front-to-back carrier.
My third and final favorite baby item is definitely a gadget. As my husband and I registered for our baby shower, we were incredibly overwhelmed with all of the things on the market for babies. What on EARTH do we truly need amidst all of these things? Of course, you want to have the coolest new items, and my favorite find in the gadget department would have to be the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon. They can be found at both Target and Babies ‘R Us for around $7. The spoon holds more than one 4oz. container of baby food, and as you gently squeeze the bulb, baby food fills the spoon and you can 1. feed your baby one-handed, and 2. avoid a huge mess. I found this item to be PERFECT for shopping trips because I could load the spoon prior to leaving the house. Emily was surprisingly less messy when we used the “Boon Spoon” because I could control messes with my left hand while continuously feeding her with my right hand. A dream come true!
I think I’ll kick things off with the things that I have found most helpful in my adventures as a first time Mom. As we all know, EVERYONE wants to share their war stories and must-haves when you are expecting. This is a practical account of the things that have saved my butt on numerous occasions. Of course, everyone wants to talk about the most fabulous cradle and bouncy seat. Well, Emily would sleep in a pile of dirt if I’d let her. So, let’s not worry with the obvious stuff. Everyone’s going to buy a play yard and a crib. So, what do you ACTUALLY need? A cart cover! That thing is so amazing, I’m not even kidding. My cart cover is a Kozypal and it is AMAZING. You can purchase them from retailers like Target for around $25. I checked in with Melissa at Kozypal for a few weeks and found that she was having a fabulous sale. I got my $62 cart cover for $35! The small compartments that the cover has, the loops for hanging keys or toys, and the easy elastic ties make my cart cover my favorite baby product thus far. I use my cart cover nearly every day and I highly recommend them if your child is anything like mine – chewing the metal on any cart she can wrap her teeth around!
My second favorite baby product has to be my sling. They are available in much more fun colors and patterns than they have been in the past, and they come in very handy when you have a newborn/infant. I never quite mastered the “vacuum with ease” aspect, but I still love my sling! It offers hands-free shopping and your baby can sleep nestled close to you, or ride around on your hip while your hands are both free. My sling is a product of Babies ‘R Us and ran around $40. I found that I could more easily slide into my sling than I could maneuver my front-to-back carrier.
My third and final favorite baby item is definitely a gadget. As my husband and I registered for our baby shower, we were incredibly overwhelmed with all of the things on the market for babies. What on EARTH do we truly need amidst all of these things? Of course, you want to have the coolest new items, and my favorite find in the gadget department would have to be the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon. They can be found at both Target and Babies ‘R Us for around $7. The spoon holds more than one 4oz. container of baby food, and as you gently squeeze the bulb, baby food fills the spoon and you can 1. feed your baby one-handed, and 2. avoid a huge mess. I found this item to be PERFECT for shopping trips because I could load the spoon prior to leaving the house. Emily was surprisingly less messy when we used the “Boon Spoon” because I could control messes with my left hand while continuously feeding her with my right hand. A dream come true!
Welcome to my new blog!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
When I decided to start a blog, I thought back to all of the things that I have searched the Internet for in the past. I practically planned my entire wedding via the Internet, after all! These days, however, I am constantly searching for things that will make my life easier, save money, and of course, the impulse buys that we all succumb to! This blog is dedicated to bringing you the best products, the best prices, and the most fabulous deals that I stumble upon as I shop for my family and raise my 14-month-old daughter.
First, I feel obligated to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a former public school Choir director who made the transition to staying home with my toddler, Emily, last June. This has been the most rewarding transition of my life so far, but a challenge none the less! I am 27 years old, and I make my home with my husband, Sean, in Wylie, Texas. Wylie is a small suburb north of Dallas that butts up with Plano, Sachse, and Lavon, Texas. My husband is a high school English teacher who has current aspirations of becoming an administrator in the public school setting. To continue with my life-long passion of music, I teach private piano and voice lessons out of my home in the evenings. I look forward to sharing with you the things that I have found helpful in my adventures as a stay-at-home-mom/bargain hunter extraordinaire!
When I decided to start a blog, I thought back to all of the things that I have searched the Internet for in the past. I practically planned my entire wedding via the Internet, after all! These days, however, I am constantly searching for things that will make my life easier, save money, and of course, the impulse buys that we all succumb to! This blog is dedicated to bringing you the best products, the best prices, and the most fabulous deals that I stumble upon as I shop for my family and raise my 14-month-old daughter.
First, I feel obligated to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a former public school Choir director who made the transition to staying home with my toddler, Emily, last June. This has been the most rewarding transition of my life so far, but a challenge none the less! I am 27 years old, and I make my home with my husband, Sean, in Wylie, Texas. Wylie is a small suburb north of Dallas that butts up with Plano, Sachse, and Lavon, Texas. My husband is a high school English teacher who has current aspirations of becoming an administrator in the public school setting. To continue with my life-long passion of music, I teach private piano and voice lessons out of my home in the evenings. I look forward to sharing with you the things that I have found helpful in my adventures as a stay-at-home-mom/bargain hunter extraordinaire!
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