Walgreens
Almay one coat mascara $6.99
$6.99 rebate
Final Price Free
Rite Aid
St. Ives apricot scrub or elements $4.99
$4.99 rebate
$2 coupon www.stives.com
Final price free or $2 profit
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Grants and blessings
I spent a lot of time this summer looking for a grant to replace my 40 year old air conditioner. I never did find a grant for that but I did find one for the 23 year old roof on my house that needs to be replaced. Crown recommends keeping a fund for stuff that you know you will replace, but of course I did not know this when we bought the house 20 years ago. Why doesn't someone give you a manual when you buy a house? The housing authority has some grant money available for certain areas in Fresno County for their revitalization program. Finally living in the tower district has it's perks! They guarantee they will start the work on or before December 8th, so hopefully it won't rain too much before that. I have had multiple repairs on the roof in the last 12 years. When it began leaking again last year everyone that looked at it flat out refused to fix it. I finally begged someone to do another repair but he told me it would only last a year and the year is up. I can't tell you what a blessing this is for us. Not to mention they will do some other repairs that we desperately needed. We even got to pick the color of the roof! That was too funny. Personally I could care less what color it is as long as I don't spend every day that it rains anxiously looking at the ceiling. Today we found out we could get the plumbing leak we have under the house covered as well so now I don't need to worry about how we were going to pay for that too. I may have spent the last two weeks barely working, but God is still taking care of our needs. So many people have blessed us this year with what we needed. When we refinanced our house this year it basically was only enough to pay for the legal fees to get the title released to me. (Long divorce story) I was really upset, disappointed, and anxious about what we were going to do about the rest of it. God has shown us the path to doing absolutely everything that we wanted to do when we refinanced except replacing the air conditioner and the windows but neither of them were really necessities anyway, just wishes. Somehow we replaced Ken's car that just died, repainted the house, repaired our fence, got a new roof, repaired the structure damage to the garage, fixed our plumbing, trimmed and removed trees, and new grass to the backyard. All of this cost us about 1/4th of what it should have. Not to mention we were able to bless at least two other people that we know of with work when they desperately needed it. How awesome is that? In the book debt free living by Larry Burkett there are many stories by others who had desperate situations with money. They began living their lives according to Gods principles and received many blessings as a result. I read that book and it truly inspired me. I never expected it to happen to me, but it did. I am overwhelmed with how much God loves me and cares for me, particularly when I didn't feel my needs were worthy enough for His notice. I began this blog because I was feeling discouraged with how I was doing on my own money map, but as I'm writing this I am realizing how truly blessed I have been, and I'm now feeling truly inspired for the coming year.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thanksgiving planning
The sales are beginning at the grocery stores for the holidays. I went to Winco today and got a 15lb turkey for under $5. It is 30cents a pound when you buy $25 worth of groceries. Vons is giving a turkey for $4.88 with $25 worth of groceries or Save Mart is giving a free one when you buy $100 worth of groceries. Personally I don't think it's worth it to shop there. According to my mom the previous butcher turkeys that are 16 to 20 pounds are a waste of money. The reason why is that there is more bone per pound than meat. You should figure 1 pound per person to determine the size of the turkey. I'm planning to buy more turkeys to cook throughout the year for lunchmeat. Far better and cheaper than the deli stuff. Thanksgiving isn't too expensive if you make your own stuff. Personally I love to make my own stuff. I even make pumpkin pie from the pumpkin itself. Squash is in season so you can buy all kinds of great stuff to make that's really inexpensive. Now if only the weather would catch up to these winter dishes!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Cutting grocery costs
Cut grocery costs
How does saving more than $1,000 per year on groceries sound? With a little planning, it's easy. Trim just $25 per week from your food bill and you'll net $1,300 by the end of the year. Here's how:
1. Eat out of your pantry. Take an inventory of what's lying around and plan meals around those items. You'll not only get rid of lingering groceries, you'll reduce your shopping list for the week.
2. Get in and out quickly. Statistics show that after 30 minutes of shopping, you'll spend 50 cents for each additional minute you're in the store. Stick to your list and you'll save about $60 a month.
3. Know your prices. Keep a list of the items you buy often and their cost. You'll know when you're getting a bargain.
4. Buy sale items. Build your grocery list around sale products. If one of your nonperishable household staples (such as canned goods) is on special, buy extra.
5. Use coupons. Clip coupons in store flyers, newspapers and magazines and at Web sites such as www.coupons.com, www.valpak.com and www.coupons.smartsource.com.
6. Choose generic. Trim 10 percent off your bill with store brands; they're often the same as name brands where it matters--inside the box.
7. Shop less. Shopping monthly, not weekly, at warehouse clubs can save you more than $2,000 a year.
8. Shop seasonally. Fruits and veggies taste better--and are often cheaper--when they're in season. Substitute frozen or canned varieties for out-of-season produce.
9. Find a bakery outlet. Pay $1 for a loaf of bread instead of $3. Outlets generally don't sell outdated goods, so bread won't go bad any sooner than a grocery store loaf would.
10. Check your receipt. Cashiers can make mistakes that cost you money, so look over your receipt before leaving the store.
Bonus tip
Plan your meals: Draw up a weekly menu and grocery list. You'll save time and money by making your shopping more targeted and efficient.
How does saving more than $1,000 per year on groceries sound? With a little planning, it's easy. Trim just $25 per week from your food bill and you'll net $1,300 by the end of the year. Here's how:
1. Eat out of your pantry. Take an inventory of what's lying around and plan meals around those items. You'll not only get rid of lingering groceries, you'll reduce your shopping list for the week.
2. Get in and out quickly. Statistics show that after 30 minutes of shopping, you'll spend 50 cents for each additional minute you're in the store. Stick to your list and you'll save about $60 a month.
3. Know your prices. Keep a list of the items you buy often and their cost. You'll know when you're getting a bargain.
4. Buy sale items. Build your grocery list around sale products. If one of your nonperishable household staples (such as canned goods) is on special, buy extra.
5. Use coupons. Clip coupons in store flyers, newspapers and magazines and at Web sites such as www.coupons.com, www.valpak.com and www.coupons.smartsource.com.
6. Choose generic. Trim 10 percent off your bill with store brands; they're often the same as name brands where it matters--inside the box.
7. Shop less. Shopping monthly, not weekly, at warehouse clubs can save you more than $2,000 a year.
8. Shop seasonally. Fruits and veggies taste better--and are often cheaper--when they're in season. Substitute frozen or canned varieties for out-of-season produce.
9. Find a bakery outlet. Pay $1 for a loaf of bread instead of $3. Outlets generally don't sell outdated goods, so bread won't go bad any sooner than a grocery store loaf would.
10. Check your receipt. Cashiers can make mistakes that cost you money, so look over your receipt before leaving the store.
Bonus tip
Plan your meals: Draw up a weekly menu and grocery list. You'll save time and money by making your shopping more targeted and efficient.
stockpiling
I came across this article the other day. I love to stockpile items for later. Particularly when times are hard like right now, and when Derrick says mom I need some paper, I pull out the notebook paper I bought on sale for 9 cents. When Ken and I got married I had at least a two year supply of soap. He thought it was weird until he saw me shop. Soap for free? Yes that is what I paid or at least close to it. I can remember buying dish soap for 19 cents a bottle. When Powerade came out they put out a free coupon. I went down to the Fresno Bee that day and dug as many coupons out of their trash I could find. We had Powerade for months and we didn't spend one penny on it. Sometimes buying only what you need can take on a different meaning. The lady at the store thought I was crazy when I bought 20 bottles of dishsoap, but I knew I needed it. Not like you aren't going to wash dishes for the rest of your life and 19 cents is far better than 1.99. Below is some great advice on Stockpiling.
Since the economy began heading south this year, the shopping advice from local and national media has been “try not to buy more than you need at one time” which makes me cringe every time I hear it.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to shop for something you don’t need and buy a boatload of it, if you’re buying an item at its rock bottom price and you can stock up on it, then you won’t have to buy it later at full price.
The key to this strategy? Add one or two sale items a week that weren’t on your list that you’ll likely use anyway. Use coupons to sweeten the deal and buy as many as you can at that price. Today at Target, 150-sheet lined notebook paper was on clearance for .12 cents each. Needless to say, at a savings of 88% off full retail, I bought enough paper for the kids that I won’t need to buy it again for several years. I’ll toss it in a Rubbermaid tub and pull it out when we need it.
As you begin to shop this way, keep a few things in mind:
How much can I budget on building my stockpile each week? Take a percentage of what you currently spend and reallocate it to shopping for long-term-use deals.
Will my family use up the product before it expires? My kids go through one jar of peanut butter a week, so when I can get it for less than .50 cents per jar, I buy at least 52 jars to get me through a whole year.
Do I have room to store these items in a way that makes sense? An investment in storage totes, shelving and a deep freezer can help you save in the long term.
If you can incorporate this tactic into your personal shopping routine, you might spend a little more at first, but ultimately, it will reduce your groceries costs more each month. A few years of shopping this way, I’ve cut our grocery bill down to about $200 a month. My family could live off the products stored in the garage for several months if we ever came on tough times. And best of all, I can take the money we save and use it somewhere else.
Since the economy began heading south this year, the shopping advice from local and national media has been “try not to buy more than you need at one time” which makes me cringe every time I hear it.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to shop for something you don’t need and buy a boatload of it, if you’re buying an item at its rock bottom price and you can stock up on it, then you won’t have to buy it later at full price.
The key to this strategy? Add one or two sale items a week that weren’t on your list that you’ll likely use anyway. Use coupons to sweeten the deal and buy as many as you can at that price. Today at Target, 150-sheet lined notebook paper was on clearance for .12 cents each. Needless to say, at a savings of 88% off full retail, I bought enough paper for the kids that I won’t need to buy it again for several years. I’ll toss it in a Rubbermaid tub and pull it out when we need it.
As you begin to shop this way, keep a few things in mind:
How much can I budget on building my stockpile each week? Take a percentage of what you currently spend and reallocate it to shopping for long-term-use deals.
Will my family use up the product before it expires? My kids go through one jar of peanut butter a week, so when I can get it for less than .50 cents per jar, I buy at least 52 jars to get me through a whole year.
Do I have room to store these items in a way that makes sense? An investment in storage totes, shelving and a deep freezer can help you save in the long term.
If you can incorporate this tactic into your personal shopping routine, you might spend a little more at first, but ultimately, it will reduce your groceries costs more each month. A few years of shopping this way, I’ve cut our grocery bill down to about $200 a month. My family could live off the products stored in the garage for several months if we ever came on tough times. And best of all, I can take the money we save and use it somewhere else.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Love of money
The Scripture teaches that money is not the solution to money problems. In fact, it says that whoever loves money never has enough, and that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money problems are heart problems and can only be solved by a change of heart initiated by repentance (see 2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
I received this the other day and I have been thinking about it a lot. When I was dirt poor I used to believe that if I had more money things would be better. I craved the ability to get credit cards. I wanted nice things that I couldn't afford. No surprise that when I started making literally double what I used to make I still had money problems. As christmas approaches I am determined to change my heart and repent on spending above my means. I am determined to enjoy the holidays and not spend the following year paying for it or working ridiculous hours in order to have more money to spend. I will spend this year with my eyes on God and not on how many gifts are under the tree. I think I already feel less stress!
I received this the other day and I have been thinking about it a lot. When I was dirt poor I used to believe that if I had more money things would be better. I craved the ability to get credit cards. I wanted nice things that I couldn't afford. No surprise that when I started making literally double what I used to make I still had money problems. As christmas approaches I am determined to change my heart and repent on spending above my means. I am determined to enjoy the holidays and not spend the following year paying for it or working ridiculous hours in order to have more money to spend. I will spend this year with my eyes on God and not on how many gifts are under the tree. I think I already feel less stress!
This weeks freebies
Walgreens
Colgate toothpaste $2.49
$1 easy saver booklet coupon
$1.50 coupon on www.colgate.com
Final price Free
Clabber girl cornstarch
2/$1 in ad coupon
$1/2 coupon in last sundays paper
Final price 2 Free
Progresso soup
4/$5 in ad coupon
$1 and $2 coupon off 4 on www.tinyurl.com/3oc9x5
Final price as low as .05
Energizer rechargeable battery $7.99
$5 easy saver coupon
$2 coupon on package
Final price .99
Reach Crystal clean toothbrush $1.79
.99 in ad coupon
buy one get one free
Final price 2/.19
Colgate toothpaste $2.49
$1 easy saver booklet coupon
$1.50 coupon on www.colgate.com
Final price Free
Clabber girl cornstarch
2/$1 in ad coupon
$1/2 coupon in last sundays paper
Final price 2 Free
Progresso soup
4/$5 in ad coupon
$1 and $2 coupon off 4 on www.tinyurl.com/3oc9x5
Final price as low as .05
Energizer rechargeable battery $7.99
$5 easy saver coupon
$2 coupon on package
Final price .99
Reach Crystal clean toothbrush $1.79
.99 in ad coupon
buy one get one free
Final price 2/.19
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