Coupon Closet's Shopping List

This week I also learned how to use Coupon Closet's Shopping List. It is really such a time saver and useful tool to have while you are in the store. Go to http://www.couponcloset.net/2010/10/14/how-to-print-a-shopping-list/ for a tutorial. It is seriously worth your time!

Walgreens Register Rewards

So I learned a little something new this week...Walgreens Register Rewards expire fairly quickly. Mine had an expiration of about two weeks after I received them. Unfortunately I did not notice the quick expiration until the day after they expired! So if you get register rewards, pay close attention to the expiration date so you don't forfeit your savings please!

How Much Time Am I Spending

So, I just noticed that I had a question about the time I am spending couponing. Sorry Candice that it has taken me so long to answer! I never received an e-mail letting me know there was a comment!
Now that I have a system down, I probably spend about 2-3 hours a week cutting coupons, looking for coupons, getting shopping lists prepared, and putting the coupons in my binder. The amount of time I spend going to the store varies by the quality of the sales that week. This week I did not feel there were any sales worth attending, but on a really good sales week I may spend another 3 hours spread out through the week going to the stores. That time estimate includes traveling to/from each store. So between 2-6 hours a week would be a good estimate.

A Few Weeks Later...

The summer has been fun and very busy, causing me to get behind on blogging about this adventure. I have still been couponing my heart out! I finished my first month of couponing by lowering my grocery spending by $100, and I had a lot more in my cabinets than normal. So far I feel like a fool for not starting this sooner. It definitely takes up some time, but if you are on a tight budget it is worth it! I continue to revamp my system, and have a lot of work to do before I consider myself as a coupon queen. Right now I am probably the status of the queen's maid! Every week I have a schedule to follow to keep up with all my deals. This is an ideal schedule of course. My kids come first, and I rarely get to keep to the schedule in its entirety.

• Saturday - Check deals on coupon sites for Walgreens and Target. If there are good deals, I work up a list of what I am going to try to purchase. I also get all my coupons ready for my trip to those stores.


• Sunday - After church when the boys are down for a nap I pick up a newspaper, and head to Walgreens or Target if there are good deals.


• Monday night - If time allows, I cut my new coupons and put them in my binder.


• Tuesday morning - Try to make a trip to Aldi if I need produce or other basic items. I will not make the trip if all I need is produce b/c it is cost prohibitive with gas.


• Tuesday evening - Check coupon sites for deals at Homeland, and plan trip if the deals are good. Planning the trip means I get my list of deals and coupons ready so I can be as quick in the store as possible!


• Wednesday morning - Go to Homeland if there are good deals.


• Wednesday afternoon- Check out the deals on the coupon sites for Reasor's, and plan a trip for Thursday or Friday if necessary.

I also check the coupon sites on facebook daily for new coupons, and usually print at least one a day.

Week 3

Week 3

• In Week 3 I scored my first free body wash. It was actually a really nice men's body wash for Matt, but free just the same! I used a manufacturer coupon and a Target coupon combined with a Target sale to make it free.



• In order to get these free items, you must act fast. I went to SuperTarget early in the week and they were already out of everything I wanted to get at a discount or free. However, the regular Targets seem to hold on to their merchandise a bit longer. I was able to get my free body wash at Target in Tulsa Hills.



• I tried even more items from Aldi this week and was impressed by 99% of what I bought. I am still in awe of my savings there.


• I continue to do the bulk of my shopping at Wal-mart because they have what I need and they definitely have the cheapest non-sale prices, with the exception of Aldi. I am keeping an Excel spreadsheet of the price of the items I buy at Wal-mart. This allows me to do price comparisons when I see something is on sale at another store. Wal-mart is really close to my house, so I would rather go there if the price with or without a coupon will be the same.


• After making my grocery list I now scour the internet for coupons for every item on my list that I do not have a coupon for in my binder. It only takes about 10 minutes and it could save another $5.

Coupon Challenge

The craze of TLC's Extreme Couponing has motivated me to extend a personal challenge to myself to see if I can become a couponer. I purposefully did not say "extreme" couponer! I have no desire to create a stock room in my home of 100 dish soaps! However, as my monthly grocery bill looms eerily close to my mortgage payment, I feel a need to take a deeper look at couponing.
So I have challenged myself to coupon as much as possible for 3 months. There is definitely a learning curve with couponing. I know that 1 month would not be a sufficient period to determine if couponing is really successful for a very busy mom that has no desire to visit 5 different stores a week or stay up to midnight searching for good deals. I have set a few rules to make it more interesting. First, to take advantage of a good deal it must be something I will need to buy within a month. Second, if it is not something I would buy within the month, it must be $1 or less. This ensures I will not go broke saving money! I will do my best to post what I have learned each week during this experiment.
This blog will not become a coupon blog. I will leave that up to the experts, who will be divulged in my findings. I still desire to form monthly budgets for families. If you or someone you know needs help forming a budget, please contact me.

Week 1 Results:

• Homeland at 31st and Harvard is scary, and not worth it!


• Becoming friends of pages such as Money Saving Queen and Coupon Closet on Facebook is a key to learning how to coupon as well as obtaining random coupons. I use their Matchups to find the best deals.


• Do not do all your shopping at Homeland, Reasor's or Food Pyramid. The prices are normally much higher than Wal-Mart. Only buy those things that are on sale, and/or you have a coupon for.


• When using coupons while kids are shopping with you, have a nicely prepared list of exactly what you are looking for and make sure all coupons are pre-cut.


• Walgreens is a good place for toiletry deals, but careful with the register rewards. Register rewards can be good if used in moderation, but they can also increase your spending quickly.

Week 2 Results:

• Homeland in Prattville is not that far away and is not scary! I got several things for free and was very happy with my savings.


• Visiting Homeland on Wednesday is essential for getting the really good deals. The earlier the better. Most stores (not just Homeland) sell out of the specials listed on the coupon sites the same day their ad is released. My next task is to obtain a raincheck for a sold out item, but I have not ventured down that road yet.


• Aldi is awesome! Specifically the produce is awesome and cheap. It is definitely worth the drive. There are many items that are worth price comparing at Aldi.

Tax Returns

The tax season is upon us. As a one income family, we actually look forward to take season every year. We enjoy the benefits of a refund. I know some of you are groaning, but I will put out another post that will help you identify ways to become part of the lucky refund group. This post is really for all of us who sit around thinking of all the ways we get to spend our free money. This is probably the closest we get to winning the lottery, especially considering we rarely gamble!
Instead of rushing out to spend the money on all the little projects and desires that might cross your mind, consider allocating your money in the following way.

First, as a Christian family my husband and I always give 10% of our refund back to the church. Actually, we like to give it specifically to a family of missionaries that I grew up with. We find this is a great way to give to charities that do not fit into our monthly budget.
Second, if you have debt of any kind, refunds are a great way to decrease or eliminate debt. Paying down a car loan, credit card, or student loan is one of the best ways to utilize the extra cash. If you do not have a car loan, consider putting part of the money in savings every year to use as a considerable down payment on a car in the future. (Wouldn't it be so nice to save the money for a car before actually buying it! It is a foreign concept to most of us, but there are plenty of people out there that pay cash for cars!) Also, putting part of your refund into your retirement accounts is a really great idea. Especially for those of us on one income. This allows you to contribute yearly to retirement without even working! Another great idea is putting this "responsible" portion of money into your child's college savings account. However, I know that after looking forward to this extra stipend for a year it may be difficult to spend all your money on getting rid of debt and investing in the future. It is an extremely boring responsible thing to do!
So, third, I advise you take your remaining 90% after charity and allocate 25% of that money to use for fun. You will feel like such a mature adult for paying down your debt, and you can still have a little something for yourself. So to sum up:
10% to charity
65% to paying down debt or investing
25% for fun

I wish you all a happy tax season and abundant refunds! As always, I would love to prepare a budget for you. Please contact me at jessicabaer@cox.net if you are interested!

Contest

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.

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. :)

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!)

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!

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!

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!

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!