I am attempting to do a bit of advertising for my business. So I am going to run a contest for one week in which you can win a $20 Reasor's gift card. To enter, simply post the following on your facebook status, then comment on this blog article letting me know you did it. Facebook status: "I entered the contest to win a free Wal-mart giftcard at http://www.918budgetqueen.blogspot.com. " There will be no minimum time the status must remain on your facebook profile.
I would love to help you start out the New Year right by creating a budget for your family. See my original post on this blog for details. I only charge $50! Please contact me at jessicabaer@cox.net to setup an appointment. There is no time like January to begin taking steps to financial freedom.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Coupons
Coupons can save you a lot of money, but they can cost you a lot of money too. Most of you would be surprised to know that I am not a big coupon user. I admire those who diligently seek out worthwhile coupons. With two small boys, I just can't find the time. There are some really great coupon sites available which can potentially save you plenty of money. However, to be a really effective coupon user, you need to put in about an hour a week of research. I have a few rules when using coupons. First, if this is not the brand I usually purchase, am I sure I am actually saving money? The brand you normally buy may be cheaper than the coupon brand even with the coupon. Second, if the coupon requires me to buy more than 1 item, am I positive I can use the other item before it expires? Be especially careful of this rule when using coupons for dairy products or beverages. Third, if the coupon requires me to purchase a brand that I would not normally purchase, am I willing to risk wasting the money if my family does not like it? Fourth, always remember that many coupons require you to purchase multiple items. Using a lot of these types of coupons may temporarily result in increased spending. Be sure that your budget has room for the temporary increase.
That being said, I do not want to discount the use of coupons for items that you normally use. As I always say, "A dollar saved is a dollar earned." If you find a coupon for an item you normally buy, use it! There are some really great coupon sites out there for people who get into coupon clipping. My favorite local site is www.moneysavingqueen.com, and the national site www.coupons.com. Checking the local ads online at Walgreens can also save you a lot of money. So clip those coupons, just keep the rules in mind. :)
That being said, I do not want to discount the use of coupons for items that you normally use. As I always say, "A dollar saved is a dollar earned." If you find a coupon for an item you normally buy, use it! There are some really great coupon sites out there for people who get into coupon clipping. My favorite local site is www.moneysavingqueen.com, and the national site www.coupons.com. Checking the local ads online at Walgreens can also save you a lot of money. So clip those coupons, just keep the rules in mind. :)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Budget Friendly Recipes
Since starting this blog I have had a lot of people ask about our grocery budget. Keeping my grocery budget under control is one of my biggest financial challenges. I love to cook and one of my greatest joys is fixing food for my family. I love to eat good food too! So finding budget friendly recipes is a never ending quest in our household. My plan is to start posting one recipe per week that should fit into any family's budget. My parameters will be that it has to feed a family of four for $10 or less. I love the thought of a challenge, and I welcome your feedback. If you have a great recipe you would like to share, send me an e-mail at jessicabaer@cox.net or comment to this post. Most of my recipes have originated from someone I know. So I will always give credit where credit is due!
BBQ chicken sandwiches
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 jar BBQ sauce (we prefer Head Country)
A few shakes of soy sauce
Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Put in a crock pot. Pour at least half of the jar of BBQ sauce on the chicken. You want the chicken to be covered in BBQ sauce, but not swimming in it. Shake a little soy sauce on top. Cook for 5-6 hours on low. Shred the chicken. Put a little shredded chicken on a bun and top with more BBQ sauce. Serve with Baked Beans and another side of your choice. :) We like fried okra, but we are not the healthiest of eaters!
(You can also start shredding the chicken after it cooks for 3-4 hours, by cutting it into smaller pieces every hour or so until it is done. Either ways works, and I usually start shredding at 3-4 hours because I have a hard time leaving it alone!)
BBQ chicken sandwiches
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 jar BBQ sauce (we prefer Head Country)
A few shakes of soy sauce
Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Put in a crock pot. Pour at least half of the jar of BBQ sauce on the chicken. You want the chicken to be covered in BBQ sauce, but not swimming in it. Shake a little soy sauce on top. Cook for 5-6 hours on low. Shred the chicken. Put a little shredded chicken on a bun and top with more BBQ sauce. Serve with Baked Beans and another side of your choice. :) We like fried okra, but we are not the healthiest of eaters!
(You can also start shredding the chicken after it cooks for 3-4 hours, by cutting it into smaller pieces every hour or so until it is done. Either ways works, and I usually start shredding at 3-4 hours because I have a hard time leaving it alone!)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Alternative Sources of Income
It is that time of year again, and we are all scraping up as much cash as possible to let our friends and family know we love them. I know we have deeply missed the "Reason for the Season" as we obsess over what to buy everyone, but it is our current reality. So I encourage everyone to look for alternative sources of income. It is a good idea all year long, but especially helpful as our Christmas budget seems to get bigger and bigger.
You may be thinking, "what are alternative sources of income?" Basically, anything you can do to earn a little extra cash. (Well, not anything!) In the summer my husband will mow lawns occassionally for people that are going to be out of town, or just don't feel up to doing it themselves. I have a part time job doing childcare for a couple of hours a week at church. Neither of these jobs pay a lot, but it may just pay for a couple of extra presents that I might otherwise be tempted to put on my credit card. (Not that the budget queen is ever tempted to use the evil credit card!)
So think of ways you may be able to earn a little extra cash this season. Are you gifted at gift wrapping? Send an e-mail out to your friends offering to giftwrap their presents for a small fee. Can you bake beautiful cookies? Post on Facebook that you will bake cookies for people to claim as their own at their holiday gatherings. When the season is over, offer to haul off dried out Christmas trees. It may not seem like a lot of money, but these little bits of extra cash can really offset the holiday budget blues!
You may be thinking, "what are alternative sources of income?" Basically, anything you can do to earn a little extra cash. (Well, not anything!) In the summer my husband will mow lawns occassionally for people that are going to be out of town, or just don't feel up to doing it themselves. I have a part time job doing childcare for a couple of hours a week at church. Neither of these jobs pay a lot, but it may just pay for a couple of extra presents that I might otherwise be tempted to put on my credit card. (Not that the budget queen is ever tempted to use the evil credit card!)
So think of ways you may be able to earn a little extra cash this season. Are you gifted at gift wrapping? Send an e-mail out to your friends offering to giftwrap their presents for a small fee. Can you bake beautiful cookies? Post on Facebook that you will bake cookies for people to claim as their own at their holiday gatherings. When the season is over, offer to haul off dried out Christmas trees. It may not seem like a lot of money, but these little bits of extra cash can really offset the holiday budget blues!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Budgets and Diets
The most important thing I tell people when creating budgets is "Be Realistic." You can't eliminate everything fun from your life and expect to live that way for the sake of saving money. Budgets are like diets, if you can't have a piece of cake every now and then you will never stick with it. So if you know you love to eat out or buy clothes, it's ok, just budget for it. Set a maximum amount per month and stick to it. You can still have a shopping spree every now and then, just save up for it. It will be much more rewarding knowing you did not spend an extra $50-$100 in finance fees because it took 6 months to pay it off! So figure out what kind of "cake" you can't live without and include it in your budget to ensure budgetary success!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
November Discount
God has blessed us, and this business has gotten off to a great start! To keep the momentum going I am offering 20% off of my budgetary services if you book an appointment in November. Thanks for a successful kickoff!
You Can Go Broke Saving Money
Growing up my mom constantly said "You can go broke saving money." I had no idea what she was talking about for most of my childhood, but it stuck with me. As I got older I started noticing this little saying seemed to become more frequent as I started becoming more aware of when my favorite stores were running a sale in the mall. Eventually, when my favorite pair of jeans were on sale for $25 but I did not have $25 to pay for them, the saying finally made sense.
Sales are great, especially if you have the money to take advanatage of the discounts. However, it does not matter how good of a deal it is if you do not have the money to buy the item right then. Sales are one of the traps that people fall into that result in high credit card balances. You see that patio table on sale for 25% off, but you do not have the cash to buy it outright. So you put it on the credit card promising yourself to pay it off next month. Next month comes around, and something more important needs to be paid off. So the balance stays on the credit card and accrues a little interest too.
I have a few rules for knowing when I should partake of a sale. First and foremost, do I have the extra money in my budget that month to buy the item? If yes, then ask yourself if this is something you really need or are you just attracted to the price. If you need it and have the money to buy it, then take advantage of your great timing and buy it! If it is a great deal, you do not have the money, but you know you will have to buy one next month then go ahead and do it. Just remember, everything is on sale at one time or another, but if you take advantage of all the sales you will not have any money left at the end of the month. You truly can go broke saving money! Thanks Mom for the valuable lesson!
Sales are great, especially if you have the money to take advanatage of the discounts. However, it does not matter how good of a deal it is if you do not have the money to buy the item right then. Sales are one of the traps that people fall into that result in high credit card balances. You see that patio table on sale for 25% off, but you do not have the cash to buy it outright. So you put it on the credit card promising yourself to pay it off next month. Next month comes around, and something more important needs to be paid off. So the balance stays on the credit card and accrues a little interest too.
I have a few rules for knowing when I should partake of a sale. First and foremost, do I have the extra money in my budget that month to buy the item? If yes, then ask yourself if this is something you really need or are you just attracted to the price. If you need it and have the money to buy it, then take advantage of your great timing and buy it! If it is a great deal, you do not have the money, but you know you will have to buy one next month then go ahead and do it. Just remember, everything is on sale at one time or another, but if you take advantage of all the sales you will not have any money left at the end of the month. You truly can go broke saving money! Thanks Mom for the valuable lesson!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Why I Started This Blog....
I have a degree in Finance from OSU, and I have always enjoyed the challenge of getting the most out of a dollar. I also love to help others. So I decided to put the two together and create a small business helping people create a budget. Going from two decent incomes to one after our first son was born has forced us to develop a strict budget. It took a little work, but eventually I developed an easy spreadsheet to help us stick to our budget. My budget spreadsheet requires about 30 minutes of upkeep once a week, and we have not run out of money at the end of the month since we started using this system.
If you need help creating a monthly budget I would love to help! I will only charge $50, and it will include the following: A 30 minute meeting to discuss your budgetary concerns and goals, A customized budget spreadsheet to help you achieve these goals, and another 30 minute meeting to teach you how to use the spreadsheet.
For those of you that are thinking, "We could really use the help, but I'm not comfortable with my friend being in the middle of our finances." Don't worry, I do not have to know any specific numbers to set up your budget. It does make it easier, but it is definitely not necessary.
If you are interested, send me an e-mail at jessicabaer@cox.net. The first two customers will receive my services for 50% off in exchange for a testimonial of your experience on the blog. I would love to help you achieve financial freedom! For those of you who are currently achieving your financial goals, please feel free to pass this blog on to your friends and check back periodically for helpful hints on saving money. Thanks!
If you need help creating a monthly budget I would love to help! I will only charge $50, and it will include the following: A 30 minute meeting to discuss your budgetary concerns and goals, A customized budget spreadsheet to help you achieve these goals, and another 30 minute meeting to teach you how to use the spreadsheet.
For those of you that are thinking, "We could really use the help, but I'm not comfortable with my friend being in the middle of our finances." Don't worry, I do not have to know any specific numbers to set up your budget. It does make it easier, but it is definitely not necessary.
If you are interested, send me an e-mail at jessicabaer@cox.net. The first two customers will receive my services for 50% off in exchange for a testimonial of your experience on the blog. I would love to help you achieve financial freedom! For those of you who are currently achieving your financial goals, please feel free to pass this blog on to your friends and check back periodically for helpful hints on saving money. Thanks!
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