No Spending Blog

There was an article yesterday on Get Rich Slowly talking about how a woman and her family of 3 (www.smallnotebook.org) have participated in a spending freeze for the entire month of July. She has kept track of the money she had to spend each week for necessities and the occasional splurge. I actually did a spending freeze in January and I am planning on doing it again in August. Basically what a spending freeze is, is when you only buy the absolute necessities and if you know you are going to spend money on something special, you have to plan for it. For example, tomorrow night, we are going out to eat for Tina's birthday to a moderately expensive restaurant. Since I know we are going to go there ahead of time, I am considering that a legal cheat for the spending freeze. The point of a spending freeze is to not only save money, but also to try to control overspending by challenging yourself to do better. In January when I did my spending freeze, I was competing with a co-worker to see how long we could go without spending anything. Our allowances were gas, necessary grocery staples, bills, and other necessities. I, of course, beat out my competition, but I had a lot of things stocked up, whereas, my competition did not. I spent $624.70 during the freeze, but about$400 of that was for gas. My DH and I were not carpooling at the time.

In my opinion, everybody should try to participate in a spending freeze for at least 21 days. (Statistically, that is how long it takes to create a habit) Not only to save money, but to reflect upon why you are spending money on things that are wants, not necessities. The key to a spending freeze is to keep a journal of your daily or weekly spending and to make a list of "legal cheats". These are things that you know you are going to spend money on before the freeze starts. I know there are going to be unexpected expenses, like in January when I got a flat tire and had to spend $21.95 to get it fixed, but it is a good way to learn to control your spending and impulse buying. Below are my blog entries from when I was on the spending freeze. Let me know if you are planning on trying a spending freeze. I will post a weekly reflection on my spending freeze for August.

January 1, 2008
No spending day! Read "Not Buying It", by Judith Levine, it was interesting.
January 2, 2008
No Spend day. I went to the Dermatologist, but no co-pay today.
January 3, 2008
Had to get gas for both vehicles $71.10 and I had a flat tire on the car $21.95 to get it fixed.
January 4, 2008
No Spend Day. Co-workers and I went to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch, but we had a gift card.
January 5, 2008
No spend day. We are getting low on a few items.
January 6, 2008
I had to go to the grocery store today because we are completely out of milk and cheese. But I didn't spend any money. I went to CVS and I got 4 candy bars, 2 56ct. pantiliners, a gallon of milk, a jumbo pack of Huggies, and Fructis conditioner for free using my ExtraCare bucks and a gift card. Then I went to the grocery store and got cheese and lunchmeat for free using the same giftcard.
January 7, 2008
No spend day.
January 8, 2008
DH and I both had to get gas today, $80.15 total, but returned a few Christmas items to Kohls and got back $42.
January 9, 2008
No Spend day. Ran out of eggs today.
January 10, 2008
I bought some orange juice today because we are all sick. 3 gallons for $6.71, not too bad.
January 11, 2008
No spend today. I stayed home from work to take care of sick ds.
January 12, 2008
I got gas today $32.01 and then we went to Wal-Mart. I bought cough medicine, a prescription, 2 packages of lunchmeat, a package of cheese slices, 3 cans of Pringles, powder sugar donuts, gum, 4 banquet dinners, eggs, peanut butter, and milk for $34.84. This should last for a week.
January 13, 2008
No spend day. But we are running low on pet food and soda. I was not aware of this yesterday when I was at Wal-Mart.
January 14, 2008
No spend day for me, but DH got gas in his truck $52.
January 15, 2008
No spend day
January 16, 2008
I had to get gas in my car today $28.51. Should last until next week.
January 17, 2008
I had to go get some things at the store today, but I stocked up on a lot of things so it will last us a while. I got powdered sugar donuts, orange juice, 2 packages of chicken breasts, (10) 2 liters of Dr. Pepper and (4) 12 packs of Dr. pepper (for DH), dog food (16 lb bag), 2 pkgs of cheese sticks, 2 pkgs of shredded cheese, 3 pkgs of lunchmeat, and cheese slices for $43.87. We didn't NEED anything on this list except dog food, but DH is addicted to caffeine and the other items were on sale for great prices, plus I had coupons for everything. Also, our local grocery store gives you $10 off a $50 purchase on select Thursday's and this happened to be one of them.
I did good today considering my temptations. Today was one of my co-workers last day so they ordered Jimmy Johns subs for lunch. I did not order anything. I had brought a salad and some cheese sticks, so I ate those. Then I had to get milk and diapers. I went to CVS and got the milk for free using my extracare bucks and a gift card. Then I went to Walgreens. Right now they have their Huggies Jumbo packs on sale 2/$16 and you get a free tub of wipes. Well of course I had a coupon for both diapers and the wipes so I only spent $12.50 on those. I also got 4 Glade scented oil candles for free. See my entry in the In stores forum or the couponing forum!!
Yesterday we went to my office to do some furniture assembly. I had to get gas $30, but that was all we purchased. Normally, when we go to the office on the weekend, we stop by McDonalds to get lunch, but we didn't stop yesterday. Also, we have a $10 off coupon for Lowe's that we were going to use, but we decided not too because we are technically still doing the freeze until Tuesday and we were planning on spending much more that $10. Yay for us!
Sunday January 20, 2008
No spend day. I stayed home all day today and cleaned, did laundry and cooked. I made pizza completely from scratch for dinner. I started the dough around 2:00 and let it rise for 2 1/2 hours. Then I just topped it with some ground beef, green peppers, cheese, black olives, and mushrooms. It was awesome.
Monday January 21, 2008
My husband informed me today that he needed $75 for a tool he bought for work. He does not get reimbursed for it and it was not on the approved spending list. Grrr!! Oh well, at least he is going to use it, unlike some of the other tools he has purchased. Other than the tool purchase it was a No spend day.
I had left over pizza for lunch today and for dinner I made salmon (from Aldi's), hush puppies and broccoli. Ds ate mac & cheese.
No Spend Day. I worked from home today so I didn't use as much gas as I usually would. I have a dr appt tomorrow, there goes $20 on the co-pay Oh well, at least I will get it back through my FSA.
Today for lunch I had pizza rolls. I made spaghetti and crescents for dinner. No leftovers though so I am going to have to be creative for lunch tomorrow.

Walgreens Coupon Thursday, July 31st Only

Click here for a link to the coupon Walgreens is offering tomorrow only, $5 off an in-store purchase of $20 or more.

PS. Happy Birthday tomorrow Tina!!

Have you checked your safe deposit lately?

I just received a newsletter from ING Direct. They have an article about people forgetting about their safe deposit box. People could take your items and it would actually be legal to do so.

If you do not check on your account or have low to no activity the State can claim your money or possessions in your safe deposit box.

"As of May 2008, the 50 U.S. states are holding more than $32 billion worth of unclaimed property. Auditors who "corral" these cash cows get 10 to 15 percent as a reward."

Make sure that you check on your accounts often. Don't let your hard earned money go to the State. You can also contact your state representative and let them know that you not interested in donating your hard-earned funds and investments to state treasuries.

Discounts on the Web

Margaret and I had a request from our other sister about buying a laptop. So this morning we went on a quest to find the best laptop for the price. I wanted to share some of those great web sites that I have found over the years to buy not only computers but other items.

www.passwird.com is a one stop shop for just about anything for a really good price. We both have bought movies, external hard drives, cameras, and more.

For those getting ready to go back to school, www.journeyEd.com is a great place to buy software programs for more than 1/2 off the regular price. You do have to prove that you are a student in order to make a purchase.

www.geeks.com is another place to find good prices for electronic and computer items that are on your list.

For those bookworms, www.half.com is the place to buy books. www.Amazon.com also has a program that you can buy used books listed next to the new item price.

I do have to say that Passwird and JourneyEd are my most favorite online places. I have save thousands of dollars using these two web sites.

Affirmation Sunday #4

It has been a while since I really kept on schedule. I am going to try harder this week and to start off here is a reading from 1 Corinthians 15:9 - 10

Why Me?

Kirs Kristofferson sings a song that asks, "Why me, Lord? What have I ever done to deserve even one of the blessings I have known?" That reflects a great attitude. We more often ask, "Why not me, Lord?" and mean by it that we deserve special treatment and don't think we're getting it.

St. Paul had it right. "For I am the least of the apostles... because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9). Paul might well have written the words to Kristofferson's song. What about you? What have you ever done to deserve even one of the blessings you have known?

On the other hand, what are the blessings you enjoy that make you want to sing, "Why me, Lord?" The rout of Paul's joy in life is found in one simple statement: "by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect." Paul was determined not to waste what God had invested in him, namely the life and death of His own Son.

What a great way to begin or end a day, "What have I ever done to deserve even one of the blessings I have known?"

Credit Cards Hike Rates

An article on MSNBC states that credit card companies are raising interest rates because of “market conditions”, “the economy” or “business strategies”.

Check your next statement to see if your interest rates have been changed. Capital One and Bank of America have already upped their rates because of “market conditions”. You may also want to check the agreements for each credit card. Most credit card issuers are not putting in provisions in their contract that gives them legal right to raise the rates for whatever reason they feel necessary.

Credit Card companies are using a default rate to charge customers for many reasons like a drop in credit score, late payment to another company, too many credit cards, too much debt, and too many inquiries on credit reports. The current default rate is now 26.87 percent which is up from last year of 24.51 percent. Those of you who have HSBC credit cards may want to know that their default rate is 31.99 percent.

Once you are in the “default rate” category, it takes almost an act of Congress to get it changed even if you make your payments on time and your credit is excellent. You have to ask for a credit review through the company’s customer services. Even after a review, they may not reduce your interest rate because of some made up reason.

Not only are credit card companies raising interest rates, but they are reducing your credit limit without notice. Make sure that you keep an eye out so that you don’t accidentally go over your credit limit and get hit with fees.

Capital One, Chase, Citi, Town North Bank, and US Bank gives you the choice to reject a rate increase without paying off the balance in full if you contact customer service within a specific period of time.

Just another reason to pay off those credit cards as soon as possible and keep them paid or shred them. It is almost a full time job to keep up with rules at banks and credit card companies. Have you checked in your wallet lately?

To Merge or Not to Merge

With the second round wedding season coming up I thought that I would put my two cents in on if you should merging finances. Do you wait until after the wedding or should you not merge at all?
Should you combine your finances when you are not married?

For those of you who are still living together, it is never a good idea to merge your finances. It is very difficult to split your money without major arguments and possible legal problems down the road. Most experts agree that you should never combine your money without a legal commitment.

If you add your name to another person’s loan or credit card, you are now responsible for that debt. This is true whether you are married or not.

Should you combine your finances after marriage?

It depends on how good the other person is with their money. Here are some things to consider before you merge your finances whether you are married or not.
• Does the other person spend every penny that they make and more?
• Are your spending habits compatible or will you constantly be in an argument over how much you or your partner spent on a daily basis?
• What is their credit score? This will make a difference on what kind of interest rate you will receive when applying for a loan or credit card.
• Does your partner have any kind of garnishment against their wages?
• What is their financial history?

This will give you a great idea of how they will spend or save money in the future.If your partner is not good with finances and spends every penny or more than they bring home, I suggest that you not merge your finances. Make sure that you don’t put their name on any of your credit cards, loans, or bank accounts and vice versa. Giving them access to your accounts will cost you a lot of money in the end because they will not only spend their money but yours as well.

Yes, you are still responsible for your partner’s debts after you are married. Anything before the marriage is still considered only their debt unless you add your name to that debt. Having separate accounts will give you more control over what you are spending and where your money is going. Of course if both of you are on the same page when it comes to paying bills and saving money, then there should be no reason not to merge your money.

How do you handle your finances (merge or seperate)?

ATM Fraud

MSN.com has posted a very informational article about ATM Fraud. Evidently, there are new ways that thieves are getting your debit/ATM card information. They are using new technology that can be inserted into any ATM that takes your card number right from your magnetic strip and they set up small camera's or put a cover over the keyboard to get your pin number. The article includes tips on what to look for to help avoid being a victim of this crime. The article also states that people are buying used ATM's on places like ebay and setting them up in out of the way places. Be safe when using ATM's and remember, constant vigilance.

Tightwad Tip - Egg Substitue and More

When you are in the middle of making an item from scratch that requires an egg and you realize you are out, here is a great substitute. I have used this a number of times.

"One heaping tablespoon of soy flour (or powder) and one tablespoon of water."

You can use this substitute on a regular basis and keep the eggs for those yummy egg sandwiches, or for breakfast.

Here is something you can do with watermelon seeds.

"Dry and save to mix with bird seed. Musk melon seeds also work."

Homemade Finger Paints

"1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp sugar
2 cups cold water
food coloring
dishwashing liquid
white shelfpaper

Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water and put aside.

In a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and sugar. Gradually add water and cook slowly over low heat, stirring until well blended.
Remove from heat and add softened gelatin. divide mixture into separate containers for each color.
For each color first add a drop or two of liquid detergent and then add food coloring a drop at a item until you have the shade you want.
Store up to six weeks in the refrigerator."


Stay cool it this heat and humidity.

Frugal Victory!

Today after carpooling to work, my husband and I picked up our son at daycare and went straight to town to run errands, eat dinner, and get groceries. First stop, Wal-Mart. I usually hate going to Wal-Mart because my DS always wants toys and my DH always wants snack cakes. However, today we just went in, visited my mother at the jewelry counter and picked up the pictures that I had dropped off for developing last week. The picture drop off is less expensive than the one hour, so I only spent a total of $4.04. It was a great victory over the temptations of the clearance aisle. Then we went to McDonalds. I had a coupon code for a free rental at RedBox. Then we went into McDonalds to eat. I know, not the most frugal thing, but it was 5:15 and my DS loves McDonalds. I ordered a value meal for my DH and DS and I shared a 10 pc Chicken McNugget meal (instead of getting DS a happy meal, who needs those crappy toys?). That total was $10.26.

Then we went to Shop N Save because it is $10 off a $50 purchase today. I got the following items: 3 Hamburger Helpers, 4 lbs of pork ribs, 4 boxes of mac & cheese, 3 1 lb packages of shredded cheese, 2 Nestle Chocolate milks to go, Coffeemate, pork roast, 3 loaves white bread, 1 loaf whole wheat bread, 2 packages of hot dogs, 1 package of sesame seed burger buns, 2 1 lb packages of turkey breast lunchmeat, 3 ears of corn, 1 lb of frozen shredded hashbrowns, cat food, and 4 12 pks of Dr. Pepper. Total before coupons $64.28, after 34.72 in coupons, my total was $28.76. Now we are set for groceries for at least 2-3 more weeks. We picked up some chicken and beef last week and we are getting a lot of fruits and vegetables out of our garden. We also still have frozen and canned veggies from my shopping trip to Aldi's last month. Did you take advantage of coupon day at Shop N Save? If so, how much did you save?

Calories Counting Helping to Spend Less

It seems that people in New York are not only getting sticker shock at the gas pump but also at their favorite restaurant. New York is requiring restaurants to post calories for food along with the price. MSNBC published “New Yorkers try to swallow calorie sticker shock” . As of Friday all restaurants that have 15 or more stores nationwide are required to display the calorie count in the same size font as the price.

This is causing a major shock to those eating at Star Bucks or T.G.I. Fridays. Most people had no idea that their morning coffee and muffin was over 600 calories. One lady was really upset to find out that her healthy salad of pecan-crusted chicken with mandarin oranges and dried cranberries and celery was 1,360 calories. The argument that I have is that the salad is much better for you than the cheeseburger and fries which is 1,290 calories. Yes the cholesterol filled lunch may be less calories, but the salad has more nutrients and better quality food. Sometimes the calories are worth it for the nutrition factor.

Now knowing how many calories they are digesting, many New Yorkers are opting to skip that muffin in the morning. Some are still choosing lower calorie items, but for the most part they are not buying the items at all. Not only are they saving calories, but money as well.

What do you think? This law may be coming to your state. Would you really want to know how many calories are in the food you are eating? Would it make a difference or would you ask for a menu that doesn't have the calorie count next to the item?

Frustration and Writers Block

I am frustrated because the more money I am able to save the more my husband spends. It is very frustrating to see all the savings go out the door. I have talked to him about it, but he just feels like I am trying to keep him from doing the things he loves to do. He is doing that on his own, but that is a whole new book. Maybe it is the way I am presenting it. I would love any suggestions.

I have writers block because I am having problems coming up with something new and interesting to write about. Hopefully this will not last long. Until then I think I will add some book reviews and some more tips from the Tightwad Gazette.

One way you could help is to subscribe to the RSS feed. The feed will email you articles that are posted every day (well every day Margaret or I post a new article). Just click on the RSS feed button and enter your email address. You can also tell a friend about our wonderful blog. The more people who subscribe to the RSS feed the better.

I want to thank all of you who do check out the blog on a regular basis. Let me know what you would like to know more about. Send me some questions, I would love to hear what you think.

What to do with Extra Money

Now that you have a spending plan, using coupons and taking advantage of store sales, and making a few extra dollars, here are some things to do with all that extra money.

First put half of the extra money toward debt reduction. Start paying off those credit cards. There are a couple of ways you can do this. One is by paying off the highest interest credit card or loan off first. The second is to pay off the lowest balance first. The lowest balance first because you can pay it off faster and use that money to pay off the next credit card or loan. Seeing some progress gives people hope and you are more likely to continue to pay off bills.

Use the other half of the extra money to start an emergency fund. Start a high interest savings account through HSBC Direct or ING Direct. Right now HSBC is offering 3.5% interest on a savings account and ING is offering 3.0%. I have earned over $70.00 in the last 3 months between the two online savings accounts.

Note: It is well documented that people save more when they have a certain amount deposited directly into a savings account.

Once all the credit cards and loans (except the house) is paid off, then you can put money into a retirement account like a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA. You can also start a collage fund for your children through a 529 college fund.

You can also start a separate savings account to pay cash for a new or used car, home repairs, new appliances, or a nice vacation. Wouldn't it be great not to have to worry about a loan for a car, or buying a new washer or dryer when the old one breaks down.

I was going through some clutter in my dining room and found an old contract that was posted on the Oprah web site for the Debt Diet. That is a great place to get started.

Make More Money

In order to save money for emergencies and retirement you can do two things. Spend less and make more money. We have gone over ways to save money, now how can you make more?Have a yard sale to get rid of all the clutter in your home and closet. Get rid of the clothes that no longer fit books that you have already read, and stuff that you no longer use. For those items that may be worth some money, try selling it on E-Bay or Craigslist. You can list books on Half.com or Amazon.com.

Here are some suggestions that you could do to make a few extra dollars:
- Sell craft items online- write eBooks
- clean houses for others
- Get a second job one or two days a week (Work one or two days a week at a store or your veterinarian’s office to get a discount or free services)
- Sell your surplus veggies from the garden at the farmers market
- Barter (exchange services with another person)
- Ask for a raise
- Ask if there are extra duties at work that would only take a couple extra hours for more pay- Deliver newspapers before you go to your regular job
-Paid Online Surveys

Figure out something simple that can be done to make a few extra dollars.

Next, what you can do with the extra money a month.

The Next Step is to Cut Spending

Yesterday I started a series of articles to help those who want to start saving more money. Start with How to start being Tightwad, Spendthrift, Money Conscious.

After you get organized and put together a spending plan, the next step is to figure out where you can cut some expenses.

One place to start is using coupons. Not all coupons are worth using. Make sure that you are not buying more than you need. If the coupon is for 50 cents off when you buy three, you could save more money just buying the one that you need. To get the most from your dollar, use coupons with items that are on sale. One other thing to check is to see if the store brand is a better buy even if you have a coupon and the item is on sale.

Lowe’s, Walgreens, and Shop-N-Save are all offering $10.00 coupons if you spend $50.00 or more. Yes this is a marketing ploy to get you to shop in their store, but it is working. I know that I have saved a lot of money by using manufacturer coupons, the store coupons, and the $10.00 off coupons.

Where do you get the coupons? Sunday Newspaper is the best. My Mother-In-Law and I share the cost of the paper. She doesn’t use coupons they just want to read the news. I just want to coupons. She buys the St. Louis Post and I buy the Telegraph. You can also go to web sites to print coupons like CoolSavings and Coupons.com. All Full Cup publishes online coupons for Target and Money Saving Mom keeps us all informed of discounts, sales, and coupons.

Other ways to save money are:
- Take your lunch to work
- Use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike instead of driving
- Cut out the soda, candy bars, and chips from your grocery list
- Cook more meals at home - Use the BBQ instead of the stove
- Bake cookies from scratch- Dry clothes outside on a clothes line
- Freeze juice or cool-aid in popsicle trays for a nice cool treat
- Plant a garden- Sew your own clothes
- Learn to crochet or knit blankets and sweaters
- Use your local library for books, music, and movies
- Re-use sandwich bags that are used for chips, fruit, or cookies

My Mom and Dad gave me a bunch of black raspberries over the weekend. I am going home to make a pie and some homemade bread. While the pie is baking I can use the heat on the stove to help the dough rise for the bread.

Here are some other articles that may interest you:
Coupon Queen Secrets Revealed
Saving Money by Bargain Hunting
10 Painless Ways to Save $100.00 a Year

How to Start being a Tightwad, Spendthrift, Money Conscious

Now that people are actually paying more attention to what they spend and how they spend money, I thought it would be a good idea to start at the beginning.

I have been keeping track of our spending for the last couple of months. I can already see a trend forming and at the end of August my husband and I will sit down and go over the numbers. In the meantime I am also keeping track of how much interest we receive on all of our accounts and how much I save using coupons and sales.

How do I keep track of everything? I use an Excel spreadsheet. I am going to start again using Quicken and us more of the features to see if I can automate some of the paperwork. But right now the spreadsheet is working very well for me.

In Excel I have a sheet assigned for every month of the year. I separate out what bills I need to pay for each paycheck we receive. For instance I am paid on the 10th of the month and my husband is paid every two weeks. So I put down the date that we will receive money and for that paycheck I put down the company in one column and the estimated amount to be paid in the Amount. I have a sub total for each paycheck and a total for the month.

When I pay a bill I put an X in the Paid column. Then I have a yearly worksheet that I post the actual amounts that I pay. The items at the top of the spread sheet are loans or credit cards with balances. The gray row is the balance still owed. In the Expenses column in the same line as the expense I put the amount of interest for that loan.

Then on a monthly spreadsheet I put all the loans with the interest rates and how much is still owed in the gray rows. Then under the saving yellow row, I put all the monthly bills. On this spreadsheet I put the actual amount that is paid on each bill.

Keeping track of your expenses will help you understand were your money is going and were you can trim your spending.

If you find that you are over spending you need to do two things. Make more money and spend less. I will write more about that in the next couple of days.

Other articles that may interest you are:

Starting with the Basics

Tightwad Gazette on What You Can Do To Get Started

Everyone is Jumping on the Band Wagon

MSNBC has declared Frugal the new black. It seems with high prices popping up everywhere people are finding ways to become frugal.

More people are growing their own gardens, preparing more meals at home, and driving less. It seems that the things we have been doing for years is now in style. Shopping at thrift stores and going to yard sales are the vogue these days. Wow, I never thought that I would be in style.

Many stores are marketing their goods in a new way. Whole Foods is even getting into the groove by giving tours and showing shoppers how to buy their items for less. Wal-Mart is getting more press these days since they have always advertised more for less and more shoppers are paying attention.

Many shoppers are making a game out of how well they can find the bargains. I know that Margaret and I are calling each other up to give a report on how much we were able to take home for the least amount of money. It becomes fun to see how many coupons you can use with the store sales. Even my Niece, who just moved out on her own is now looking for bargains and has purchased her own coupon organizer. She is no longer making fun of Margaret.

How have you become frugal since the prices of food and gas have gone up?

$10 Off Coupons and Free Items

Lowe’s has discovered that Shop-N-Save wasn’t that stupid to offer $10.00 off coupons for spending $50.00 or more.

My husband and I are finally working on the house again and finishing the master bedroom. We have received a $10.00 off coupon at the register the last three times we have been at Lowe’s. I guess Lowe’s has finally discovered what Shop-N-Save has known for the last two years. If you offer a coupon people are more likely to go back and shop in your store just to get the discount. It works for me that’s for sure.

I wonder how long it will take for Home Depot to get a clue.

We were at Guitar Center over the weekend replacing some DJ equipment that was damaged at the last couple of gigs. Alan asked if we could have the gaffers tape for free. Since we spent so much they actually did give us two rolls for free. It was only a $15.00 item and we spent over $600, but I will still take free any day. Don’t be afraid to ask if anything is free, you may be surprised.

After reading Margaret’s article last week I gathered coupons and printed a bunch off from the Target web site and headed out to do some shopping and errands. I started off really well buying about $60.00 worth of items at Target and only paying $18.60 and getting three tubs of ice cream for free. I did not do as well at Walgreens or Schnucks. But I am learning and working on it every day.

I really need to keep track of how much I spend and how much I save with coupons and discounts. Just to see how much I did save at the end of the month and the year. I may add that to my spreadsheet and publish total every month. Since I have been so busy working on home projects I have not done so well in shredding receipts. If I get a chance I may go back and add the discounts from the last few months. Something to look forward in next month’s articles.

Let me know how well you are doing in the comments or email me.

Dance Like No One's Watching

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to get on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is,there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now,when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.

by Ronny Light, Nashville, TN

Sent to me in an email from a friend.

RepairPal

Consumerism Commentary had an article yesterday about RepairPal. So I checked it out.

It is pretty cool. You can get an estimate on how much a repair costs and ratings on the nearest repair shops. No woman should go to get an estimate on car repairs without checking RepairPal first. Most rapair shops will overcharge women for repairs because they think we are to stupid to know any better.

Do your homework before having any kind of work done on your vehicle. The more you know about your vehicle the less likely the mechanic will be able to fool you into paying more for unnecessary repairs. I know that one mechanic tried to charge me for a part that doesn't even exist and told me that I needed to replace parts that I had just replace only a month before.

One thing I don't agree with RepairPal is that they suggest you change your oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. Free Money Finance has an article on exactly this subject. I always go with what the manufacturer says in the handbook (in my case every 5,000 miles). It not only saves money, but it will reduce the toxic chemicals that used oil produces.

There is more at RepairPal. You can keep track of your car repairs and the cost. There is an option to add your own mechanic's information to your My Car Page. There is also a Get Expert Advice that explains what a part is, what it does for your car, and how much it could cost to repair it.

Get an estimate on what is wrong with your vehicle and then get an estimate using RepiarPal to make sure the mechanic isn't ripping you off.

Ways to Save Money

I have been reading a lot of blogs the last 6 months and have read plenty of lists on how to save money. I have decided to put together a list not only for others, but to remind myself of ways to save money.

Here are some ways to save money that I have not read in other lists that I do myself.

1. Mow yard every two weeks instead of every week to save on gas
2. Using the BBQ grill more
3. Challenge yourself to see how many days you can go without spending any money
4. Buy presents throughout the year. If I see an item on sale that I think someone on my list would like, I buy it and save it for birthday and Christmas present. This saves me time and money.
5. Instead of buying berries, get permission to pick wild berries.

Here are some suggestions that have been on other lists.

1. Hang your clothes outside to dry
2. Turn up your air conditioner a couple of degrees (or in Margaret’s case don’t replace the broken one you have.)
3. Grow your own food (although I think it is a little late to plant anything this year)
4. Share a garden with neighbors to distribute the work and cost
5. Car pool or take public transportation as much as possible
6. Walk or ride a bike as much as possible
7. Bake or cook from scratch instead of buying bread and cookies from the store
8. Learn to sew, knit, and/or crochet and make your own clothes and blankets (start now and make some nice warm sweaters and blankets for Christmas presents)
9. Make use of the Local Library for books, movies, and music

Great Deals at Target this week!

Target has some really great sales going on this week, especially on items that you might take to your 4th of July get together. First off, they have their A&W/Sunkist/7-up 12 packs on sale 3 for $7. There is a coupon on afullcup.com for $1 off each pack. Therefore you get a 12 pack of soda for $1.33, but if you buy 3, you also get a free quart of Edy's ice cream. Sounds like a perfect combo for an ice cream float! They also have Dr. Pepper on sale 3 for $7 and you can use the same coupon as the A&W. Afullcup.com also has a coupon for $4 Scotch Fur Fighter hair remover ($9.99) and here is a link to a manufacturer coupon for $4 off too. That is $8 off! Also, Target has their Frito Lay chips on sale for $1.88 and guess what, there is a coupon on afullcup.com for $1 each bag. Pop secret popcorn 3 pks, Lea & Perrins worchestershire, Heinz 57 sauce, Jack Daniels steak sauce, and Pepperidge Farms buns are all on sale this week too and they all have coupons on afullcup.com. You could walk out of Target with a cart load of stuff for less than $10. I am sure I have not covered all the great deals in this short article, so if you find some more, please put them in the comments.