Black Friday

So I have to say today has been very long and exciting. It started at 4 this morning when I got up to hit up a few of the sales. We wanted to get two main things, a laptop and if the price was right, a blue ray player. Well, it was a pretty lucky day and we ended up getting both things. It was actually really calm, and organized this year. There were lines but they went fast and there were lots of the items that were advertised still there when I got there. I was pretty happy about it. I did end up with a few extra things but all in all I feel like I did ok, and I did not buy a single toy for my daughter (Well, ok, one toy from a second hand store for 1/6th the price for a new one and I have been planning on buying one anyways). We did spend ALOT of money but I guess when you are buying a laptop and blue ray it isn't exactly cheap.

So I know we wanted to do homemade Christmas this year but we are learning that sometimes, homemade is more expensive. We are both getting used, half price, or made things for Christmas which I think is good. And we will have home made things, just not only homemade. I decided to just make sure we fit within our Christmas budget this year, and we have been doing pretty well. One thing I think I have had to come to terms with is that I probably won't be getting my daugther a play kitchen. I have searched for months for the perfect kitchen. I finally found it but if we got it we would have very little left in our Chirstmas budget. So as hard as it is for me to set it aside for now, I think I am going to wait on it. I have found several other little things that she can open and I know she will LOVE. Most of the things she is getting will be used, the rest is things I bought either last year at the black friday sale or through out the year on great sales. Sometimes it is hard for me to let go of something I have in mind, but I know she really doesn't care if she gets a new kitchen for Christmas or not, so I am trying.

One thing that made today great was that when we got home from all the shopping we had a check in the mail from when we moved (we got an insentive payment for moving ourselves instead of using professional movers). The check covered everything we spent today plus some to save. That was a really nice surprise.

Travel and Savings

Well, this month I haven't been home much, our house that is. I went to my hometown for my brother's wedding and stayed for two weeks. I think travel does something to you and your wallet. I really tried to stay on budget but we ate out a lot and hit all the second hand stores, and there were just things there that I ended up buying. One of my biggest frustrations was purchasing airport food. I really thought I had enough snacks and food to last, but on vacation and with how long it takes to get across the country both my daughter and I were starving at our layover. I tried to find something semi healthy but cheap as well but that doesn't happen in an airport. On the way home we had a 3 1/2 hour layover and after a 4 hour flight with a 3 hour one ahead of us I bought dinner. I know this month hasn't been the greatest money saving month but I also feel like I have held off spending much more than I previously have, so that is a victory. I feel like I have let myself down, sometimes it is so hard not to spend.

As Christmas gets closer I am so tempted by all of the beautifully displayed items in windows and magazines. We have a list of what we are getting for Christmas for each other and others but I have that weakness to buy things for my daughter, especially when I can justify it by adding it to our Christmas list. We decided her one present would be a toy kitchen but now it has grown to a few other things that I either found on clearance or second hand. I am contemplating skipping the kitchen all together and just give her what I have. On the other hand I have been looking for months to find that perfect kitchen. One that meets all my expectations and has the perfect price tag. I have yet to find it, and even made several attempts at re-purposing but didn't get far.

Another thing that has made it hard was that we had yet again another car issue come up as well as a couple other big ticket items. I am trying to keep my mind on denying myself of worldly goods but it is really tough. I haven't reinstated Netflix so far, which I am surprised I have made it so long with out. I am proud of myself when I do make good decisions about saving and I feel like we are still saving, maybe just not half our budget.

I have been learning a lot about money though. We had a few opportunities to shop at costco and Sams Club and I realized how much cheaper it was to shop there, as long as we use what we buy there. I realized that if I sat down and made a menu with similar items for the week we could get what we need for cheaper, make a bunch of it and have a weeks worth of meals ready to go. Like if I go on a Saturday and cook all day Sunday I would be ready to go for the week. Or I don't have to make it all on Sunday. But I think having a plan for your meals is a huge help.

Well, I think that is as long as I should make this post. I can't wait to see how our November budget turns out.

Deny Yourself

I was reading and found this and thought I could pertain it to this blog.

. . . avoid spoiling children by giving them too much. In our day, many children grow up with distorted

values because we as parents overindulge them. . . . One of the most important things we can teach our

children is to deny themselves. Instant gratification generally makes for weak people.

Elder Joe J. Christensen, “Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence,” Ensign, May 1999, 9.

I really love this quote. I think too often I do this with my own daughter. I can think of several times that I just had to get her that because she would love it and she is only this age once and what if I don't have another girl and I will have regretted not letting her have that and so on. I have realized how much she really doesn't need. I have a habit of letting her pick out just one thing (with in reason) to buy when we go to the store. Often it is one or two dollars but it is something we certainly don't need and I now realize may be overindulging or spoiling her. It sounds horrible and I don't do it all the time but I have done it nonetheless. She is quite content with the toys she has yet I drool over toys that "I know she would just love." I know is is so young and could really care less if I bought her things or not so this is my resolve to put an end to the frivolous small purchases and I will start having her denying herself so she can learn that you earn what you have. I also am going to resolve to not buy her any more toys, unless it is already what I have planned for Christmas, for the remainder of my challenge. I know this is going to be a hard one but I really want to not spoil her.

Also an idea that we have done is put some toys away and pull them out again after a few weeks or months. It will be like getting new toys all over again.

Just a little triumph

So I have been learning a lot about saving. I have learned that I am not always as good as I should be but I am learning about lots of good ways to save. I finished the book a while ago but I have been practicing several of the money saving ideas all month. One thing I am really proud of is that we have been without Netflix for 2 months now. We have had it for so long that I really didn't think we could go without and now I know we can. I haven't really missed it terribly. We did rent a movie from Redbox once, but I mostly watch my shows on line and movies we get from the library. It isn't much saved but if you add it up it is $107 a year.

My big triumph for this post is that we got very close to our goal of cutting our budget in half. I was shocked when we calculated everything and figured out that we only spent 60% of our income for the month. I am so excited. And that was including an airplane ticket to go home. I feel like I have held off on so many purchases that at times have been so hard not to buy, but I feel like it has been worth it. When we broke down the categories we were under on everything except food. Food was about the same. I did work on stocking some of our food storage this month though so that is probably some of it, and we ate out more this month so hopefully I can work on that this next month and start using our stored up food.

I feel like it has been good for us to watch more closely what we buy. I don't feel like we have had to sacrifice much. I think a lot of it is that the little things matter. I get so tempted to buy a little thing here or there when I got to a store and I have had to be ok with leaving a store without buying something. I struggled a couple times but honestly after a few days I can't remember what it was I wanted to buy so obviously we aren't missing out. I also was tempted to buy Halloween decorations and decided to make them instead. We have some cute decorations made by my daughter and I that we can save for next year now, for free. And it was so fun to make them together. We also really wanted to go to a farm to do the petting zoo and pumpkin patch and all the fun activities but we decided not to because the ones in our area were really expensive, and I don't think my daughter feels put out any. We went to plenty of free Halloween events. It has been really good for us to try this. I can't wait for next month and to see how we do.

We have been thinking about something that we can do with our savings and one thing is that we may be able to afford a bigger place in a good neighborhood when we move next time. Another is, since we love to travel, we could take a trip after this training is over. Or we don't have to use it at all.

I have several other thoughts to share so I will post more later.

Weekend Shopping Spree

So this weekend we made a trip to the mall. We didn't really have a plan which is a bad idea when you go to a store, we just wanted to walk around since it was freezing outside. We did leave with some purchases but I think they were pretty reasonable. We got two clearance shirts for my daughter and a pair of sale mittens for her as well. I probably could have waited on the mittens but I guess I am still not perfect on the not spending. At least they were not full price. I also used a gift card I had forgotten about it for something I did need. My total 10.00. Not bad for a shopping spree.

I think the biggest success for me is how many times I said no. I am pretty proud of myself for that. So at least I can say that I am proud of myself for keeping myself in check. I think this month we may meet our goal. Cross finger, close wallet.

Ideas to make it through

I have found that it is getting harder to not spend money. Sometimes I am really iching to make an impulse buy. I know that I shouldn't but it is so hard. It also is really hard to think about the whole month and how to gauge what I should and shouldn't spend for the whole month, so I thought of something that I think will work better. Since I know how much we need to spend to spend half of what we normally do I can cut that in half again and just think about it for two weeks. I can do that. Two weeks isn't hard. I can prepare myself and think of what we are doing in the next two weeks. And if I really want something but it will put us over I only have to wait two weeks until I can get it. I think it sounds good. Hopefully it will work.

Something else I wanted to share was that I just got a whole new wardrobe, for free. I went to a clothing swap and there were so many things there that I ended up coming home with a ton of clothes, not just for me but for my daughter, husband, sisters, mom, brothers, and niece and nephews. I was so thrilled. I know a couple areas that do a clothing swap and I think it is such a great idea. I really want to pull a group of people together to do it again.

How it could work if you choose to do it with friends is set a time that you will do it (maybe once or twice a year), then let your old clothing pile up and when it is time for the swap, the amount of things you donate is how much you can take with you. At the end if there is still more, anyone can take what ever is left. If there is still anything left over donate it to a thrift store. That way if you have changed sizes or just gotten tired of a certain shirt you can switch it up. Everyone benefits and you aren't loosing anything because they are clothes you were getting rid of anyways. If anyone tries this I really want to know how it turns out.

Tips for Traveling

So we have been really busy here trying to keep up with things but now things have calmed down and I am ready to continue. Last week we took a quick trip to another city. I really thought I was prepared for everything and realized that I really could have saved myself a lot of money.

One of the biggest things was that I left things behind. I think it is a curse of mine. I somehow always seem to leave something, no matter how careful or thurogh I am with packing up. This time it was my daughter's beloved panda and her blanket. She had them in hand when I was taking stuff out to the car then decided to shove them in a little cubby hole in the cat's scratch post. I didn't notice and we left without them. The first thing I thought of doing was running out and buying new ones because she is so attached to them, but ended up not. I just wanted to see how she would do without them. Well, I am glad I didn't buy her a new one. I explained that she left them and that the person would be mailing them back to us but she wouldn't have them for now and she seemed to do ok with it. She has missed them because she talks about them but she hasn't lost any sleep over them. Yeah.

So double check everything before you leave somewhere.

Another tip is that you could find someone to stay with when you travel. Bring a cooler with food so you don't stop along the way to eat out, it is unhealthy as well as expensive. Bring snacks with you. Have a plan. Know where you are going and how much you are going to spend and then add 10% to whatever it is you are budgeting, because something always comes up.

Our trip cost was mostly gas because of how far it was but we stayed with a friend, brought snacks and bought food at the grocery store when we got there. We didn't really have a lot of time to spend money but I thought the trip went over well budget wise.

Month End Report

We calculated all of our spending for the month of September and this is what we found.... we failed miserably.

I had hoped that the car issue wouldn't put us over too much but it did. But it wasn't just that, it was a lot more. I think the biggest problem with the month is that we didn't start the month on the half price challenge. I paid tuition for an on line class, we had to buy things for our new house, we ate out a lot when we first moved here because we didn't have our kitchen set up or food in the fridge right away. We were still spending on moving expenses. So I guess the last part of the month was good for us to save so that we didn't spend more than we did.

With this though we redid our buget and reviewed previous months. It turns out that since January of this year we have been spending under our income until August. So I can feel good about that. August and September were just off months. Hopefully this next month can be full of savings and we can be on our way to spending half of what we normally do. Maybe it will take us until December to do it but I am going to keep trying. Thanks for reading.

Buy it Used

So yesterday I was a little caught up in the car trouble that I didn't post about my one little victory. We did hit up some yard sales. I am sure everyone has been to a yard sale before but since this is my blog about cutting back I thought I would report my findings. It wasn't fabulous but it was something. We spent 6.50. I think we did alright.

We got:
Thanksgiving hotpad and dish towel (we don't have any Thanksgiving decor and at least it is useful decor, it will help make it feel a little more like Thanksgiving)
A notepad that I am going to decorate for Hannah (since she is an artist at heart)
An ornament that Hannah insisted on leaving the yard sale with that will now be her ornament for the year (we get her an ornament and us an ornament each year at Christmas)
tea candles for our jack o lanterns (the plus side is that they are scented so I can use them to frangrance our house as well.

A huge box of books, not that I need more books in our house but it was such a good deal and we can gift a lot of them (please don't hate me for giving you a used book as a gift, just think of it as saving the planet by reducing and reusing) and some of the books will go to family members that could use them and what is left we will donate to our super library for their book sale to raise money to keep the library open (seems only fair since we are saving so much by using their services).

We also got a puzzle for rhymes, which I can use for teaching and preschool.
a pair of shorts for my sister's son
a fancy full lenght mirror that I plan on painting to match my room.

So some of it we may not have needed but for only 6.50 I can't complain. So the idea of the day, look for used items, search the yard sales, you may hit a lot of duds and one really awesome sale that makes it worth it. Check out the thrift stores, goodwill, salvation army. They may have a great find that makes it totally worth it.

Lesson Learned

So today I learned a lot, probably not in the best way I could have learned it. I think the best thing to keep in mind while starting to cut back is that it isn't going to happen overnight and there will be some bumps along the way. There will also ALWAYS be things that come up. Like today, it started out with me taking the car in to get a free alignment and brake check. Our car has not been so smooth while breaking and I was concerned. I figured a free check wouldn't hurt and we have never had it aligned so I was pretty sure that was it. Well, our check engine light was also on and I was getting nervous about that too so I asked if they would be able to check it out while they were at it. They said they could but it would cost. After consulting my husband we decided we had better get the problem solved or it might cost more in repairs later. I really wish I hadn't done it.

So 10 minutes after I left the shop they called to tell me the engine light was on because the gas cap hadn't be put on properly. Nice. They said since they had done the full engine check it would cost the hour labor to do it. Yeah, it took them way less than an hour. Then they said the breaks were really worn and also the roatars needed replaced. I was really skeptical but I had been told a year ago that they were about half way worn (by a very reliable person) so I figured it was about time. They then said it would be 450 to fix. Yikes. So much for a free inspection. They also recommended that I get the wheels balanced and rotated. Add that to the bill. I opted out of the later two options. My husband then called and said he found another place that could do it for 100 less but by the time we called the place back they had already started putting new parts on and would charge us for labor anyways. Then they called again saying the alignment was horrible, which I new at the start but I figured that was the only problem. So to say the least, I poured out an aweful lot of money today to fix a problem that really could have been done so differently.

They did end up waving my fee for screwing my gas cap, took 20 off the parts (out of pitty for me being in tears), and upgraded to premium brakes for free but I still feel like we would have been fine with just an alignment and waited on the breaks for another couple weeks while we shopped around. We did get a good price for the alignment but I really wish we hadn't had the breaks replaced there. It makes me sick just thinking about it.

So shop around. Ask people who know about cars your questions first. Take it to two places to see if the people say the same thing needs done. Check on the internet for answers to your questions. Check out a book about cars from your library. Check online for ratings of auto repair shops. I really pays to know what you are doing before you do it. I hope someone can learn from my lesson. I feel really foolish but the up side is that because we have been saving here and there it made it just a little easier to swallow the total bill.

To buy or Not to buy

One thing that I think everyone deals with is deciding what is a necessity and what is a want.

Quote: "Sometimes we can not distinguish the difference between essential and nonessential. We want an iPod, we yearn for it. Thoughts about that wonderful iPod comsume our life for several days. So we go and buy the first iPod we see. It satisfies us for about a week then we put it aside. Our yearnings change. We want something else."

Think about your purchases. When you pick up an item hold it for 30 seconds before putting it in your basket so you have some time to think if you really need it. For large purchases like a car, boat, etc. wait 30 days. If you still want that item it is probably not going to be an impulse buy.

I have to do this constantly now, a lot more than before. I tend to think about things for a long time then buy it and have buyer's regret. This is especially true with strollers. Don't ask me how many strollers I have owned and returned. I have started to walk away more from items and in the course of a few days I can't remember what it was that I wanted so badly. So try rethinking your purchases. Walk out of the store without that item and return later, even if it is the next day, if it is something you absolutely must have. Try it and let me know how it went. Or just share something you were able to walk away from.

Another thing you could do is write a list of things you purchase and categorize them as essential or non essential. Even if you cut back on half of the nonessential things it will add up.

Cash and Carry

So another idea is to carry cash and nothing else, that way you give yourself a limit and don't spend anything above that because you can't. So today I went to the farmer's market with just cash. We were out of just about everything so I knew it would need to be a big shopping trip. I gave myself $60, which is less than a big trip to the grochery store in our house. It may seem like a lot but we actually ended up with a ton of food. I love going to the farmer's market because everything is so fresh and local. Shopping at the farmer's market supports local farms which in a small way is improving the local economy. It also usually has less pesticides if any at all. Most farmers at this market practice sustainable farming. I really tried to think about what would give me the most for my money since I only had so much. So here is what we got:

2 lbs. greenbeans, 5 tomatoes, 1 cantaloupe, 2 garlic bulbs, 1 pound of mushrooms, 1/2 lb of shitake, cheese, 2 dozen eggs, 7 ears of corn, 5 apples, 1 head of cauliflower, 2 lbs raspberries, 6 bell peppers, 4 zucchini, 1 onion, 1 eggplant, 1 lb of grapes, 2 big pumpkins, and 2 small pumpkins.

Most things were cheaper than the grochery store, some were more (like the free range eggs) but I felt like I brought home a good amount for what I spent. And I didn't go over, I actually was under a couple dollars. My total for today is added to what I have spent so far, and when I reach the end of the money, that is it. I can't spend more, and I will have to get creative on meals if I have spent the limit before the month is ended.

The thing about food is that you have to have a plan for it or it will be wasted, which means you are throwing away money. Here is my plan for the food: The green peppers were much cheaper than what we pay at the grocery store so I bought a lot and plan on chopping them and freezing them for the future, same with the onion and green beans. The mushrooms we use to make veggie burgers, they were a lot cheaper than the store so I bought a lot so I can make the veggie burgers and freeze them. That means I have some on hand any time I need them. I have recipes I all planned out for the cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and we have already cooked some of the corn. Yum. The pumpkins I got will act as a decoration until Halloween, I just got it early because I am super excited about it and it was cheaper than the Walmart ones. One of the pumpkins is specifically for making pumpkin pie, so I am using it for decoration and to eat. So when you shop (not just for food), take cash. When you cook, use up all your food.

Quote: " Some families have found that the best way to stick to their budget is to take cash to the store. Leave the checkbook and the credit card at home. You will stick to the budget because you have to."

A Library of Savings

So I wanted to tell everyone how awesome libraries are. They are a free resource for just about everything. Not only books. I absolutely love books but there is more.

At our library there are puzzles, games, music, and books on cd. I have been wanting to get my daughter some puzzles that have interlocking pieces. Typically the puzzles run about $7-10 for one puzzle, unless you buy used or find a super good sale. Our library lets you check out the puzzles for 3 weeks. Plenty of time to learn the puzzle then you can switch for new ones. They have tons of melissa and doug puzzles, which I love, so I am already saving a ton by using this resource. Another upside is that when she grows out of the puzzles we won't have them laying around the house taking up space.

The library also has several classes going on. I just signed up for a knitting class, yoga class, and walking group, all free. I know every library has events happening so go find out what they offer. The library we went to is only one of several in our area, think of how many more resources we could find if we check out the other ones.

They also have a weekly book babies story time. It is interactive with games and songs and rhymes and of course books. So I am saving by not enrolling in costly mommy and me classes.

I have no idea why this picture turned out sideways but you still get the point. A couple weeks ago I looked into getting a subscription to a baby magazine called "Baby Animals." They are very cute and have poems, games, stories, and pictures of baby animals, which my daughter LOVES. I was so temped to get the magazine but then we started the cutting the budget experiment so I decided not to. I am so glad I didn't. The library has tons of copies of the magazine. I was thrilled to find them. Now we don't have to wait for them to come in the mail, we can pick one or two up any time we want.

Another thing I found was workout videos. I know work out videos isn't what you typically go to the library for but I used my Netflix account to rent work out videos to see if I liked them or not. I was browsing the workout videos and found one that my sisters both have used and love: The 5 mile walk at home. I am so excited to try it out. They actually had a lot of good ones. So I am saving by not having to buy the dvd. I can use it for the two weeks then get a different one then pick this one back up if I want. It will always be there to try when ever I want to add this to my routine.

And speaking of excercise I joined a 10 week walking program the library has set up. It is totally free and you get a pedometer, shirt, and weekly snack when the group walks. The group walks once a week and then you track your steps on the other days. They have goals to reach and a competition for who gets the most steps. It is so fun. I have met several really neat people. So no need to join a gym for now. Money in the bank yet again thanks to the local library.

And another resource I found at the library. Beautifully cataloged and organized is a box full of coupons. It is a coupon exchange. The "Live Your Life for Half The Price" book talks about a coupon exchange but I haven't ever seen one so I was pretty excited about it. I can browse through the sections pick the ones that I know I would use and choose a coupon. We had bee considering getting the Sunday paper to get coupons to help cut our grochery bill but this is fabulous. The greatest part is that not only are they all cut out for you, there are duplicates of every coupon. I found up to 4 of some coupons. So not every library may do this but it is worth asking about. It was isn't advertised or anything it was just sitting on a table, waiting for me to find. More savings in the bank.


So, now that I have bombarded you with all this info and praise about the library, check out your library, I would love to hear what other libraries offer.

Swag Ideas

So I know most people that also read my sister's blogs have done this but I thought I would put this out there. There is this awesome way to get free stuff just by searching on the internet. I haven't been super proactive about it but my sister has and she has gotten several Amazon gift cards with her swag bucks. What you do is click on the link below and sign up. Down load the search bar and then when you need to search for something type it into the Swag search bar. You will rack up points for searching and then you can trade your points in for products, gift cards, and a ton of other things on their website. It is really cool. I am hoping that I can save up the Amazon gift cards for Christmas presents this year, I already have $10 in gift cards. So check it out. It is a pretty simple way to get free stuff, which is always nice. I promise it isn't a gimmick and it doesn't have you sign up for a million other offers. Just go the the webpage, sign up and you're in.

www.swagbucks.com/refer/EstherM

Pennies Add Up

In the book there is someone who did an experiment where they started picking up pennies and keeping them in a jar. Over the course of 3 years they had picked up a little over 1,000 dollars in change. So for the next 3 months I am going to been keeping a jar and adding to the jar each time I find change. I have put a penny counter on the side of my blog that I will update each time I add to the jar to see just how much change can add up.

Quote: "If a penny falls from a pocket, no one misses it, right? But one hundred pennies add up to a dollar, five hundred to five dollars, etc. The secret to living life on less is to realize that every 'penny saved is a penny earned.'"

First Step: Cutting Back

I am reading the book "live your life for hlaf the price" in conjunction with this experiement of mine so I am going to include a quote from the book with each entry. The first one is about cutting the small stuff: "You can cut 20-30 percent of your expenses by looking at the small stuff. You don't need all those premium cable channels, you need to recognize that you are throwing away your money on things that have no long tterm impact on your life."

So, our goal is to cut our budget in half. First thing we needed to do was to go through our budget and find any unneccessary expenses that we could cut back on. We decided eating out was one of those. I don't feel like we eat out a ton, mostly while I am running errands and it becomes lunch time much sooner than I expect. We are going to start packing more snacks to take with us so that when we need something to eat we can grab a snack to tide us over until we get home. I hope that we can cut it down to once or twice a month.

The other expense I am going to try to do without is my beloved Netflix account. We have had Netflix for a long time. It is awesome because they send movies to your house or you can just get on line and watch a movie any time you want. A part of getting rid of it is because I felt like I was watching too many movies, and so is my daughter. So for at least a month we will not be using Netflix. That means more time for me and my daughter to do other things together and 12 more dollars in our account. It isn't much but hey, you gotta start somewhere. We have found tons of movies at the library so when I am in the mood for watching a movie I can just run down to our public library and check one out for free. I also let my daughter pick two movies each time we go so I have a couple of kid movies on hand. I am amazed at how many good movies our library has.

Any ideas of anything else to cut back on?

Kick Start

This is my new blog for recording my budgeting and thrifting adventures. I am really not sure how this will go but I am excited to take charge and save money. I would really love advice and ideas on money saving tips. Feel free to comment.