tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7450486033158455502024-03-13T05:03:48.228-05:00Thrifty BeginningsChoosing to be thrifty from our new beginning on.Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-20593685377944236462010-09-19T02:29:00.000-05:002010-09-19T02:29:43.449-05:00Not your average bloggerWow, I must say, after looking at some of the <b>uber</b>-thrifty blogs out there I am <i>definitely</i> not your "average" thrifty blogger!<br />
<br />
I hope my readers don't expect to come here and see all of the <b>best deals</b> and <i>greatest match-ups</i> out there, because I just don't have the energy <i>{or drive}</i> to do that. So if that's what you guys look for, so very sorry, but you won't find that here. That's why I have all the great linkies on the right -----><br />
I'll leave it to the pros!<br />
<br />
Here, you'll just find our journey to saving money, being thrifty, and making it by with a little more money in the bank day by day. Tho, I'm feeling like the whole saving is a little rough right now.<br />
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Speaking of which, when will this whole "recession" thing turn around <i>{????}</i>, I wonder. I just think back....<i>{time warp}</i> I made it thru a year of lay-offs - then my number was drawn <i>{in a figurative sense}</i>, hubby's clientel has definitely decreased, I sometimes I feel like we need to sell everything in the house to make-do, I feel guilty of buying a Caribou once in a while (man, I'm glad I don't get one everyday like I used to! Then we'd really be on the street, haha!), and I haven't bought any "new" clothes in I can't remember how long - garage sales and thrift shops are my friends. I have gift cards to clothing stores, but feel guilty using them on clothes. Why? I have no idea, it's not like I can get toilet paper or food at those stores, right?<br />
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But then I think about my life, and think "we're not that bad off." We own our house, we don't have car payments, our house is completely furnished, we have food on the table. It's just that feeling of living paycheck-to-paycheck, like I'm not able to make enough to contribute, that little twinge of pain when I look at the bank accounts <i>{to see the amounts haven't really increased}</i>.<br />
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Okay, not sure where all of that came from! Guess I've had a bit on my mind lately... Just a little food for thought I suppose.<br />
<br />
And now I must really get to bed after a day & night of reading articles, writing papers, taking quizzes and doing finances, blah. <br />
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Always,<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none;" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-40500604058284531572010-09-16T21:13:00.001-05:002010-09-16T22:00:52.538-05:00Where has time gone....So it's been sooooo long since I posted I figured I best come back and update you guys a bit!<br />
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First off, the recipe for the Rotha's Buns that I talked about in my last post has been requested by many. I will say, these buns are Heaven on Earth! They are a family recipe, but Mom said I could share :o)<br />
<br />
<u><b>Rotha's Buns</b></u><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>2 tsp. dry yeast (soften in 1/4 cup warm water)</li>
<li>Add together: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1 egg, beaten</li>
<li>4 tbsp. melted shortening (or butter)</li>
<li>2 cups warm water</li>
</ul> Mix yeast with above mixture and then add 7 cups flour, knead, let rise once. Form into rolls and let rise again until double in size. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes (outside should be light golden brown).<br />
<br />
And there you have it! Easy enough, right?? We usually make at least 2 or 3 batches at a time, they don't ever seem to last long at our house. They are easy to freeze, and taste best right out of the oven with a little butter! Delicious! We've also done some variations using part bread flour rather than full white flour, wheat flour, adding a little cinnamon or nutmeg. You do what you want!<br />
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I've also been thinking of doing Recipe Wednesday's or something....We have a lot of great recipes that we've found around, and I know we all love to try new things!! So if you have a great recipe that you really like and would like me to feature it here on Recipe Wednesdays, send it on over! <br />
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Other than that, I'm back at school now, so the whole "being thrifty" has really taken effect! We save for what we need, don't buy what we don't need, and have an allotted amount each month for a couple date activities. We also look for free/really cheap things to do on our date nights each week, often it is finding a new recipe in one of our recipe books, then a movie night on the couch. We're still couponing, earning points online, and cashing in rewards with our debit cards (awesome!).<br />
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What have you been doing lately that had been uber thrifty?? We're always looking for more ways to save money!<br />
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Always,<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none;" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-10285201789583390792010-04-06T00:55:00.001-05:002010-04-06T00:58:17.150-05:00Why buy it,...when I can make it!!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now that I'm all married off and Hubby and I are trying to save money wherever we can after the lay-off...mom has starting giving me cooking lessons!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was never really one to cook when I was younger, mom tried numerous times to get me interested, but I just never got into it. I was more of a baker. Well, now that Hubby and I are on our own, making house, I figured it was time I really learned. Yes, I'm a little nervous about it, the confidence isn't all there, but here I go!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So to start off, Lesson One: Rotha's Buns. Some absolutely delicious buns that my mom has always made and a recipe from my Grandpa's cousin (Rotha) that has always been in the family! Now these are some pretty intense buns, never had anything like 'em, and you can't make just one batch...mom always makes at least 3 at a time! And I'm talking time-taking baking buns here...mix ingredients, knead dough, let dough rise, make buns, let buns rise, bake, and eat! But they are like Heaven after you put a little butter on them (or without if you're Hubby)!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S7rL7RXjg5I/AAAAAAAAAkc/arbHQiAVL4I/s1600/IMG_9360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S7rL7RXjg5I/AAAAAAAAAkc/arbHQiAVL4I/s400/IMG_9360.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S7rL_f-LNhI/AAAAAAAAAkk/LJBUsWHW62c/s1600/IMG_9365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S7rL_f-LNhI/AAAAAAAAAkk/LJBUsWHW62c/s400/IMG_9365.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I just need to keep making them to get the recipe down! Hubby was so excited that I'm learning to make them! They are definitely a staple in our family...</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We use them for everything; breakfast, lunch, dinner, garlic bread, hamburger buns, sandwiches, etc. Now we just need to make quite a few and won't have to buy bread for a while! They even freeze great! Thrifty much?? Absolutely, and love it!!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Always, </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none;" /></a></div>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-10481956098858287102010-03-12T12:38:00.000-06:002010-03-12T12:38:55.571-06:00Well....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looks like things will be getting a lot thriftier around here sooner than planned... There was another lay-off at work yesterday and I just happened to be one of them. So now it is off to the whole "putting the thrifty plan in action" thing going on in this house. Thinking, planning, and acting...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any tips out there to make this a bit of a smoother transition would be greatly appreciated by one and by all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Always,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></span>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-5885081293020509482010-01-11T22:16:00.001-06:002010-01-11T22:20:33.648-06:00Something big to think about...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately, Hubby and I have been looking at finances {as I know many people have in this tough economic time}, but for possibly a little bit of a different reason. We have been together for quite some time now, married for over a year, and we've been looking to the future. Where do we want to be? What do we want to be doing? When do we want to start a family?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we've really began throwing around and thinking about what could be one of the biggest decisions for us, whether or not I stay at home when we start our little family (other than our adorable little kitty, of course!). It is something that has been in the back of our mind for about a year now, really something that kind of came up during the beginning of our marriage. It has just jumped a little more forward into the front of our minds. We both don't feel quite ready to have kids just yet, but it became apparent to us that we really need to start thinking and preparing if this is something we really want, and to see if it is even possible for us financially.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We already keep a budget and revamp it every month for whatever events we may have coming up in the near future, but we really needed to sit down and take a serious look at that budget. It became obvious that with the way the economy and our jobs are right now we aren't able to live on one income (Hubby's pay is all based on commission-a personal trainer-and is in a profession where people don't want to pay for those services like they used to, and my company has put forth mandatory time off-80-90% depending on how busy each group is-and since I don't have any PTO left, it is all time without pay).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we've been doing some re-evaluating, looking to see what we can really live without for a while to save money, pay off debt, and prepare for what may come. Since we got married, we've done a few things to try and help things along, we've:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Gotten rid of our landline and just use cell phones</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blocked text messaging from our cell phones {we never used it enough to make it worth it anyways}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Began collecting and bringing aluminum cans in for money</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Been sell books on Amazon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have become a mystery shopper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We use cash-back services and point rewards systems to get gift cards and cash back</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have become a coupon and sales-shopping machine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have just cancelled our cable</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all of this that has been put in place, we still feel like our goal is so far away. I’ve been reading blogs and articles I’ve found online that stay-at-home-moms have posted for other tips and ideas, but we feel like we’ve slightly come to a wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I throw this out to you all: </span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are there any tips that you would have for a young couple preparing to live on one income one a family is started? </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there something in particular you wish you had known, or done, when you were getting ready for the big change?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything would be extremely helpful and I appreciate all of you out there in blogland that have already posted information for all of us “SAHM” hopefuls!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you all in advance!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></span>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-87188310402160293672010-01-11T14:55:00.001-06:002010-01-11T20:06:43.520-06:00A day home sick means...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A day of clipping and organizing coupons and trying to get organized. I finally sat down with all of the Sunday ads & coupons and made our plan of attack for the week. There are so many great sites and blogs out there that give coupon and sale match-ups, I don't feel like I would do the match-up's justice, so be sure to check out the blogs in my bloglist to check them out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's to a great week of savings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Always</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></span>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-31970889792768169812010-01-08T16:02:00.004-06:002010-01-08T21:34:12.964-06:002009 Wrap-Up<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With welcoming a new year brings looking back at the past year and acknowledging accomplishments and seeing what changes need to be made. So here we go...</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course and got a good handle on where our finances were, where we want them to be, and what we need to do to get there.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set a budget and worked our best to stick to it!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paid off all credit card debt and now pay the balance off each month to bring it back to $0. Also-closed many credit cards that we didn't need any longer (all "store" credit cards).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Began funding our Emergency Fund, and contribute a bit to it each month.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually saved up enough money to go on our much-awaited week-long honeymoon!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Opened a Roth IRA for Hubby.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worked on couponing and searching out the lowest priced items that are bought regularly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paid extra towards student loans and our mortgage each month to live a debt free sooner!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I became a direct sales consultant to bring in a bit of extra income.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure there are many more things that we had done along the way; these are just what stick out in my mind right at the moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course, our goals for 2010:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Become a One Income Family (living on one income, and saving the other for future)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Live BELOW our means </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give 75% handmade gifts </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">100% cash Christmas shopping for Christmas 2010 (for gifts that are not handmade) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Develop a good price book method </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Purchase online thru only cash-back websites </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use a coupon everytime we gas a car </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is to a much better and more prosperous 2010!</span>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-40250587353338997892010-01-08T13:22:00.000-06:002010-01-08T13:22:57.503-06:00Mega Swag Bucks Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S0eFrysxrwI/AAAAAAAAAdo/ZeRife9mvxg/s1600-h/Picture_6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/S0eFrysxrwI/AAAAAAAAAdo/ZeRife9mvxg/s320/Picture_6.png" /></span></a><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember, every Friday is </span><a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kbbouf"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mega Swag Bucks</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> day! Swagbucks guarantees that over 10,000 Swagbucks will be awarded in MEGA bills (10, 20, 50, and 100) today! So whenever you are ready to do some searching online, make sure to go thru </span><a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kbbouf"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swag Bucks</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, you never know what you might get! (I've already earned 3 Swag Bucks today!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Searching! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-10551662768053237762009-12-16T08:26:00.002-06:002009-12-16T08:30:18.019-06:00End of Month (for November)Ah, sorry I didn't blog about our end of month total...things have been a bit crazy, then I was on a much needed vacation last week!<br /><br />So our total of savings in the past has been increasing month by month:<br /> September: $290.45<br /> October: $488.06<br /><br />And now November: <strong>$641.98</strong>!!! Got to love those coupons and specials!! <br /><br />How much did your family save last month?<br /><br />Have a great and thrifty day!!<br /><br />Always,<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-61297984919078705932009-11-03T10:52:00.002-06:002009-11-03T10:56:59.612-06:00Tuesday's Frugal Tip<em><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Trade services/items with a family member or friend. Child care for some handi-man help, or baked goods for a haircut, whatever you can think of!</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">*</span></em>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-11692332469317143212009-10-31T20:04:00.004-05:002009-10-31T20:07:58.992-05:00End of the Month~If you remember, our total saved with coupons and such at the end of the month for September was $290.65. And since today is the last day of October (Happy Halloween!!), it's time to reveal this month's final amount of savings!<br /><br />Drum roll please....<br /><br /><br />The total this month is: <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">$488.06</span></strong>!!<br /><br /><br />I still can't believe that we saved that much! Working with what is given to us!<br /><br />What did your family save this month?? I'd love to hear!<br /><br />Hugs & Giggles,<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-14492108185309346302009-10-30T10:17:00.009-05:002010-01-12T09:38:16.672-06:00Some places I frequent...Hey all! Sorry I haven't blogged lately, things have gotten a bit crazy again at work with submittals and all. So by the time I get home and eat dinner, I'm pooped! I have been working on a little something lately tho...<br />
<br />
I have been asked where I find a lot of my coupons and many of the great deals that I take advantage of. First off, I have many of you out there in Blogland to thank for that- So thank you much!! So I've decided to put together a little list of great finds on this wonderful Internet world that we all can jump to with the touch of a mouse.<br />
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<strong>Coupon Websites</strong><br />
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<ul><li><a href="http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10&bid=alk10300910027c75c918123614">Coupons.com</a>- Awesome place for printable coupons</li>
<li><a href="http://www.afullcup.com/">AFullCup.com</a>- Great database of printable coupons, plus some store coupons as well (Target, CVS)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.couponcabin.com/">CouponCabin.com</a>- Both printable coupons and online coupon codes</li>
</ul><em>(Just a tip that I have learned from many on here in Blogland, if you are printing coupons off, with most, you can hit your back button on your browser and print another of the same coupon)</em><br />
<strong>Blogs</strong><br />
<ul><li>All of the blogs in my side bar- I always save them there so I don't always have to remember the exact site!</li>
</ul><strong>Other Sites I frequent often</strong><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=sy%2FtJuz0fXfBLM7vLA40pg%3D%3D">Ebates.com</a>- a cash back website to navigate from when shopping online. You get $5 for signing up, but must make a purchase within a certain amount of time to get that. There is no limit on the amount for them to send you your check. <em>(As of now, I will be getting $13 back in November. Not bad for navigating through them for things I was going to buy anyways!) </em></li>
<li><a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kbbouf">SwagBucks.com</a>- a search engine that you can use like any other, but you earn "SwagBucks" as you search that can be used to get different items, gift cards, prizes, etc. <em>(I currently have 63 Swag Bucks, am saving up for some gift cards or cash back through Pay Pal!)</em></li>
</ul><em>I have also signed up on the email lists of many stores that I shop at often. That way I can get other sales info/coupons that everyone else may not see!</em><br />
Hope you all find great deals and ideas at these sites, I know I have! If you have any others, feel free to leave a comment, I love finding great deals! I'm sure I'll be adding to this as I remember more sites that I usually check out, so be sure to check back!<br />
Oh, and be sure to stay tuned this weekend for the October "End of the Month Savings Total"! Its a good one!<br />
Hugs & Giggles,<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-86853083243447449892009-10-27T15:41:00.003-05:002009-10-27T15:45:33.916-05:00Tuesday's Frugal Tip<em><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Never be afraid to shop thrift stores or garage sales, you never know what great things you will find!</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">*</span></em><br />Mom and I love going to a few different church garage sales around home every year. This year, I found some gorgeous clothes in great conditions, $3 a piece! And a couple dresses that I've worn to weddings, $7.50 (for a BCBG dress- you would never find anything that price in the store) and $10!<br /><br />What was one of you best thrift store/garage sale finds??Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-41590223353757957592009-10-20T11:03:00.003-05:002009-10-20T21:44:24.390-05:00Tuesday's Frugal Tip<span style="font-size:130%;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Turn off and unplg electronics and appliances when they aren't in use. You'd be surprised how much energy they use when just being plugged in!</em><br /></span><br />*Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-5632414629896633062009-10-13T09:33:00.003-05:002009-10-13T09:37:18.665-05:00Tuesday's Frugal Tip<em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Bring your own re-usable bags when shopping.</span></em><br /><br />(Our Target has recently started taking 5 cents off your total purchase per re-usable bag that you bring and use.)<br /><br />*Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-53888010357907214182009-10-12T22:21:00.005-05:002009-10-30T11:57:06.466-05:00It's all about the coupons...Tonight was a good coupon night!<br /><br />The first stop was to Walgreens. I bought a few things in the ad with coupons, and matched up manufacturer's coupons with each item.<br /><br />Quilted Northern - $6.99 (on sale)<br />Kleenex 100 sheet - $2.29<br />Kleenex 100 sheet - $2.29<br />Kleenex 100 sheet - $2.29<br />Kleenex 100 sheet - $2.29<br />Cinnamon - $1.19<br />Renuzit Air Freshener - $1.21<br />Renuzit Air Freshener - $1.21<br />Renuzit Air Freshener - $1.21<br /><br />After coupons and $9.00 of Register Rewards, I paid <strong>$5.00 out of pocket</strong>.<br /><br />Not too bad if I say so myself! Getting ready for cold season, and air fresheners near Abbi's box.<br /><br />Gotta love the coupons and saving!!<br /><br />Hugs & Giggles,<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-89694078278240257312009-10-11T12:27:00.003-05:002009-10-11T13:04:32.203-05:00Financial VowsAs many have been working very hard this year during this difficult economy to pay off their debt, we have been working on this as well. I have lately come up with my list of my:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Financial Vows to become Debt-Free!<br /></span></strong>1. Only out to lunch once a week<br /><br />2. Trip to Caribou only once during pay week. (so every other week...which is down from twice a week, eek!)<br /><br />3. I will think about each item before making a purchase.<br /><br />4. I will use things up at home before purchasing more non-essentials.<br /><br />5. We will treat ourselves to one dinner out a month.<br /><br />6. Only one happy hour a month.<br /><br />7. The credit card will only be used for online purchases.<br /><br />8. I will not buy extra pop from the vending machine. (one of the difficult ones for me)<br /><br />9. I will not buy anymore clothes until I get rid of some.<br /><br />10. I will do at least 3 mystery shops a month to help with extra income.<br /><br />11. We will put away $20 a month of my paycheck to our emergency fund.<br /><br /><br />What are some of your/your family's financial goals to become debt free? I would love to hear them!<br /><br />Always,<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-9016300528337304592009-10-06T22:11:00.004-05:002009-10-13T09:36:40.143-05:00Tuesday's Frugal Tip<em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">When buying a sale item, buy enough to last 12 weeks. This is the typical amount of time for sales to cycle through.<br /></span></em><br />*Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-62668407140807936512009-10-04T19:28:00.004-05:002009-10-04T19:39:46.034-05:00Our Newest Addition!This weekend we added a new little member to our family, little Miss Abbi!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/Ssk-E2g0XDI/AAAAAAAAAVw/lAFZZKP_X14/s1600-h/IMG_8110.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388906682199071794" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MYKST318dUA/Ssk-E2g0XDI/AAAAAAAAAVw/lAFZZKP_X14/s320/IMG_8110.JPG" /></a><br />We aren't exactly sure what kind she is, but she is absolutely adorable! All grey with a little white spot on her chest, and the biggest ears. We got her at the Humane Society, (opt to adopt!), a 4 month old precious little one. <br /><br />Some have asked, how are you saving money if you're getting a kitty? Well, we have saved for a while to get one, along with other ways we are going to save. <br /><br />~ I am always printing out coupons and watching sale items for things for her<br />~ We always check the clearance section, and will continue for kitty things. We found a little toy there for her before we went to get her.<br />~ We'll be looking into getting things in bulk (litter, food, lint rollers, etc.)<br />~ I buy loose catnip and make catnip toys for her rather than buying them<br />~ Rather than buy a little kitty bed, I will be making one for her<br />~ And I've been signing up for lots of little kitty samples. We should be getting some in a few weeks!<br /><br />Have a happy saving week!<br /><br />Hugs & Giggles<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/168/FB65115C796C0607B3CA1974671597A9.png" /></a>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-71496443549849651512009-09-30T22:37:00.002-05:002009-09-30T22:43:01.560-05:00End of the MonthJust a quick little note:<br /><br />The end of the month is upon us again! We just finished our budget for October, and things are looking alright just about now.<br /><br />And the grand total of savings during September from coupons: <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">$290.45</span></strong><br /><br />So for all of those that don't believe in using coupons, or just don't understand why one would want to take the time, that amount is exactly why! And that is just the savings from coupons (added up from all of our receipts during the month), and does not include things that were bought on sale and such.<br /><br />How much did you and your family save this month?Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-85470791652884188372009-09-29T12:58:00.006-05:002009-09-29T15:50:19.334-05:00Ways We SaveThere are so many ways out there that different people have noted on how to save money. Here are a few that we've found to work for us:<br /><br />1. Bring lunch to work rather than go out to eat.<br /><br />2. Shop at garage sales and thrift stores.<br /><br />3. Shop around before making big purchases.<br /><br />4. Compare Sunday ads and make our shopping lists.<br /><br />5. Use coupons, and use them often! Match up sales, store coupons, and manufacturer coupons to maximize the savings.<br /><br />6. Use Register Rewards at Walgreens and Extra Care Bucks at CVS for all purchases.<br /><br />7. Got rid of our landline phone, we just use our cell phones anyways.<br /><br />8. Make a budget each month, revise, and stick to it!<br /><br />9. Rarely use credit cards anymore. If we do use them, we pay the balance off each month.<br /><br />10. Sign up for freebies and search for coupons online.<br /><br />11. I use mass transit to get to work rather than driving.<br /><br />We also sell items on EBay, Craigslist, Etsy to make a little extra money. Use extra money made to pay down debt (those darn student loans!).<br /><br />What have you found to work best for your family?Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745048603315845550.post-90551374974002318792009-09-29T12:48:00.003-05:002009-09-30T22:48:57.177-05:00Hello all!I've been a sales shopper since birth, am thrifty at heart, and have been working to bring these traits to my new life with my awesome, loving husband! Couponing and saving are my game! Especially with being newly married, we have decided to dive into the world of doing all we can to spend less and save our money.<br /><br />I love a challenge and always keep my eyes open for other ways to save. I get excited to look at the bottom of my receipt and see just how much I saved on a shopping trip! I think it's beginning to rub off on my man!<br /><br />People have lately been asking me about how I save and if couponing has really helped my hubby & I with the place the economy is at the moment, so I decided to tell my story. I hope you enjoy, learn a lot, and I am excited to learn from you all as well!Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253277245569988642noreply@blogger.com0