Well, it has been a little longer between postings than I planned on, but all is good! After going on vacation to New York for a family reunion, our little family caught a yucky 24-hour flu bug, so we're slowly getting back into our routine! Since it's the beginning of the month, I'm excited to start finding the new coupons various websites have posted, since a lot of places change them at the beginning of every month. I also had my Sunday newspaper waiting for me when I got home, full of great new coupons to clip!
So I said in my last blog I would post my favorite places. My top two fav's are "The Frugal Girls" at http://thefrugalgirls.com/ and "Money Saving Mom" at http://moneysavingmom.com/. Both of these websites line up with a lot of the values my husband and I are trying to implement in our home. It's where I have also learned a lot about couponing and finding great deals.
So here are a few of the basics I started with on this adventure to make shopping and saving more fun, giving me more smiles along the way as I try to stick to our budget so we can save more, and give more!
1. Stick to the basics. I promised my husband I would stick to stuff we already buy, or sign up for freebies I would actually use. We are trying to simplify our life, not make it more cluttered. So I sign up for stuff I would use (shampoo, conditioner, razors, tampons/pads, etc...) and stick away from stuff I won't actually use. This not only saves me printer ink and drawer space, but it keeps me on target with the whole point of budgeting and saving.
2. Utilize things I already have, before I buy more. Before I get more, I need to either get rid of stuff, or finish using up the stuff I already have. This has made me grab the almost empty bottle of cleaner under my sink first, before the almost full one. Also combine together conditioners into one bottle before buying a new bottle. Clean out my pantry (throwing out expired stuff, rediscovering foods I haven't used yet), etc...
3. Once again, think outside my normal box! If I'm not planning on using it, there might be someone else who could use it right now. God has challenged me that all I "own" is actually His, and I need to be a better steward of what He has blessed me with, instead of being a "hoarder". God has provided for our needs (and wants) through so many different people, I want Him to use me, too!
4. Don't complicate things. Saving money might take a little extra time, but it doesn't mean I have to go overboard. I already use Facebook, so this is one way I can simplify and save at the same time. I follow "Frugal Girls" and "Money Saving Mom" on there, and can also sign up for coupons and freebies through different companies. I see this stuff in my normal newsfeed along with all my friends updates. So don't stress yourself adding a ton of extra stuff into your day!
5. A Few of My Favorite Places. Before couponing, I primarily shopped at Walmart, Aldi's, and Marc's. I avoided places like Target and Giant Eagle because I couldn't ever get good sales. Next post I will share why I now actually go to both of those places!
No comments:
Post a Comment