saving money :: Not So Average Mama

Archive for saving money

Oct
10

A Real Way to Save! Saving Savvy!

by Brandy

A lot of books I read about saving money don’t speak to me. Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving is not like that. Reading this book was like talking with a friend over coffee. A friend that really wants to help you learn and has no problem breaking it down step by step.

I love the way things were broken down and even repeated to get them embedded in your mind. Saving Savvy by Kelly Hancock is totally a book I would recommend to my friends that are interested in saving more money. It isn’t about extreme couponing! It’s about being smart. Making plans and sticking to them!

Planning is the thing I have the hardest time doing, but Kelly explains how to do a lot of this in little bits. One thing at a time until you can add them all together.

If you are looking to change your spending habits when it comes to your food budget, then this is the book for you! Trust me, it isn’t just another how to use coupons book! Moms everywhere need this! Thanks Kelly for writing it!

You can buy the book on Amazon! You can also visit Kelly’s blog at Faithful Provisions.

0 Categories : Did You Know?

Aug
22

Clark Howard, He Sure Does Know His Stuff! Save Your Money!

by Brandy

I’m sure a lot of you have really been shelling out some cash for your kids back to school needs! This time of year also brings the need for check-ups such as eye exams. A lot of times this means a new prescription too. I’ve talked about it before and I’m bringing it up again. I have back up this time from Clark Howard!

Get your prescription eyeglasses online! Trust me, this is where I order from and it’s where Clark Howard get’s his glasses as well. For as little as $7 a pair you can have a nice new pair of glasses from ZenniOptical.com! Clark even mentions them in his new book ”Living Large in Lean Times“, with tips on how to improve your finances in just a week!

It’s super simple! I know you probably think it’s a hassle to order them online. It’s NOT! Trust me, I don’t do anything that is a hassle…I have too much to deal with already. All you do is have your Eye Doctor write down your PD (pupil distance) measurement for you when they give you your prescription. That is all you need to order online.

Do yourself a favor and save some money this way. It’s a simple way to trim back your expenses. Also, you won’t feel so horrible when your kid comes home with a busted pair of glasses from a friendly game of dodge ball….

0 Categories : Around Our House, I'm So Cheap

May
2

Time for Some Coupons!

by Brandy

Food & Beverage:

Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Fresh Gourmet Tuna Bites and Salmon Bites
$1.50 OFF 1 Wanchai Ferry Frozen EntrÃ©e (excludes Wanchai Ferry Dry Dinner Kit)
$1.00 OFF 1 package of VELVEETA Spicy Buffalo Loaf
$1.00 OFF 1 Magnum Ice Cream
$1.00 OFF TWO BOXES General Mills cereals listed: Basic 4, Chex (any), Fiber One
$1.00 OFF TWO (2) Barber Foods Stuffed Chicken Breast products Read More→

0 Categories : I'm So Cheap

Mar
23

Save Money by Buying Glasses Online

by Brandy

So since my computer broke I have been using my time to get back on track with saving! I’m going to be posting about was to save, the things we do here in our own home.

Morgan wears glasses and one way I save is by buying prescription eyeglasses online. She gets a larger choice of frames at prices I can afford. It’s easy to shop online for glasses as long as you already know the style that looks best on you. Even my own glasses were purchased online. This can save hundreds of dollars and the quality and customer service of Zenni Optical is great! Read More→

0 Categories : Around Our House

Dec
29

New Years Resolution, Save Money in 2010!

by Brandy

money I see everyone posting about goals and resolutions for the new year. I have several as usual, but today I’ll talk about saving money. I’m already pretty good at this, but there is always room for improvement. In order to keep my resolution I will try to master one goal at a time.

For instance I will look into different areas to cut costs in areas that we have to spend money anyhow. Things like auto insurance and utilities. You know, the things that you must have. I will also buckle down on my budgeting during holidays. This will apply to all holidays…not just Christmas.

I will make more food from scratch! We do this a lot anyhow, just gonna step it up! I will look on Craigslist more before buying something new. I will start using freecycle again.

One way I plan on saving in the new year is to get my house organized! You know when you can’t find one of the 6 pairs of scissors you have so you buy yet another pair….geesh! This is a must and high on the priority list. There are 5 people in this house and they each have a lot of stuff. It needs to get in place or out it will go.

What are some of your ideas to save money in 2009?

4 Categories : Around Our House

Dec
6

Current Giveaways at Not So Average Mama!

by Brandy

money saving at Christmas Wouldn’t it be nice to win a lot of your Christmas gifts? Or maybe win some giftcards to shop with? I think so! Check out my current giveaways!

Please link your current giveaways below! I’ll go enter the ones that we would like to have!

3 Categories : Contests

Nov
27

The Best Gifts For My Kids

by Brandy

money saving at Christmas A lot of my family have been asking me that dreaded question….what do they get the kids for Christmas. Well, honestly how about cold hard cash? I’m not kidding! Well don’t really send cash, but those prepaid credit cards would be perfect.

Gift cards are fine and dandy, but when a kid like Morgan, who is good with money wants to shop for the best deals around, they can be kind of hindering. Also, she wants a few big ticket items. If all her gift cards are for different stores that doesn’t help her get what she wants because she can’t combine them. The prepaid credit cards can be spent anywhere and on anything. That way if she got a few prepaid credit cards she could combine them to make one big purchase.

Same thing for the little ones. No point in buying gifts and shipping them out here. That is a waste of money. If you really want to get the girls gifts, you can send the prepaid credit cards and I can go get stuff from you to put under the tree and save you the hassle of paying for and shipping it out.

For those insisting on getting J and I something, the prepaid credit cards can’t go wrong. We don’t really need anything, but if you are insisting…then one of those are great for us. It could be set aside for movie date nights or something fun like that. Maybe I can frame them to break in case of emergency!

I think this is what I will do for some of those hard to shop for people on my list. No guessing about where they want to shop, or what stores are near them. No wasting money on a gift that is not needed or liked.

0 Categories : Around Our House

Nov
3

Do You Still Write Checks?

by Brandy

dreamstimefree_473684 I’m a paper freak, I love stationery and I want my checks to be awesome to look at. Forget buying from the bank though. Have you looked at ordering through the bank? Very expensive! I buy my personal checks directly from the printer, and save! I love the cute designs and I have even seen them where you can personalize the image on the check. What is on your checks?

I still write checks often. I use my card for a lot of things, but I do still pay a lot of bills and our rent by checks. By giving a check it also gives me a couple of days before things clear my account, sometimes you need a few days haha! I was wondering how many of you still write checks as well?

Are you a “warm check” writer? Not to be confused with a “hot check” writer…that would be criminal! When I say warm check writer, I mean do you write a check to cover groceries when you know there is not money to cover it, but that there will be money in there before the check clears? Say it’s Thursday and you need groceries. You don’t get paid until Friday, so you write a check instead of using your card. That is what I mean by a warm check writer…are you??? You can’t do that with a debit card!

2 Categories : Around Our House

Oct
29

I’ll Be Saving Money this Holiday Season

by Brandy

I love the Holiday season. It’s just everything is so dang expensive this time of year. It’s colder, so there is an increase in the cost of heating, which bites. I try to just dress everyone warmer and we also have a fireplace that we use often. It helps, but you know that bill is still going to be higher.

We are self-employed and winter is the hardest season for my husbands business. He is a General Contractor. It seems we scrape and struggle every winter. I’m not embarrassed about it, I think a lot of people are in the same situation. The economy sucks and we just gotta keep on truckin’! I cut expenses everywhere I can. I try to cut down on gas by trying to take care of all of my errands in one day. I cut out Starbucks...sniff sniff, but it had to be done. I do occasionally treat myself though. Mama deserves a treat now and then!

We do a lot of Thrift Store shopping, always have. I actually love to shop thrift stores and my children are always stocked with awesome clothes that look great. Garage Sales are another favorite of mine! You can find brand new with tags still attached items at both Thrift Stores and Garage Sales.

My kids are learning to be thrifty just like their mama. Morgan is an amazing shopper and great with money. She does not blow money. She knows the value of a dollar and I am so proud! She figures out the best deals for anything she wants to get. You can be thrifty in the kitchen too! Pretty soon Turkeys will be on sale at a great price! Grab a few and find some great ways to use all that meat up! Make some cheaper healthy meals. My girls love Bean and Cheese Quesadillas! That is CHEAP!

So it’s time to start gathering ideas for homemade Christmas presents. I love homemade gifts and we have a goal to make the majority of our gifts this year. Not only will my girls have fun, others will appreciate the time and skill they dedicated to making the gifts. Christmas is not about who can spend the most or get the most.

There are a few “big ticket” type things that I want to pull off for the girls. I am trying to set aside money to do that. I know some people who go and get those payday loans, but I do not think that is an option for the self-employed.

When my new site launches next month I will have all sorts of homemade gift ideas for you!

2 Categories : Around Our House

Oct
16

Savings Made Simple and $100 Sam’s Club Membership Giveaway!

by Brandy

This giveaway has ended! The winner is comment #24!

memcard-advp200
Sam’s Club has launched a micro-site called “Savings Made Simple“. The site is pretty fantastic and has a Savings Calculator, News Articles, and a Savings Forum.

There is a great article by the Coupon Mom (Stephanie Nelson), one of my favorite people. I use her site a lot and it was interesting to read her smart tips for saving money and shopping in bulk. I also was impressed with the Savings Calculator on the site. You just punch in what you typically spend in a month on certain items and the calculator tells you what you could have saved by shopping at Sam’s Club. I did mine and it was a LOT! We have a household of 5 and go through things pretty quickly.

Shopping at Sam’s Club allows me to stock up on items we use a lot of and save money by purchasing those items in bulk. Serious savings!

Thanks to my new relationship with Sam’s Club, I am giving away another $100 Sam’s Club Advantage Plus 12 month Membership.

Main Entry: Visit the new Savings Made Simple Site and participate in the forum. Link me to at least one post you made there, along with the name you posted under. I know that the post are moderated, just let me know what topic you posted under and the name you used. I’ll check it out later to be sure. (You can find this by clicking JOIN THE DISCUSSION near the top of the page.)

Bonus Entries: You must complete the main entry before any bonus entries!

Try out the savings calculator, let me know how much it says you could save. You can earn 2 entries for this! Be sure to comment 2 times!
Blog about this giveaway for 5 entries! Comment 5 times
Tweet about this giveaway @SamsClubDeals @stitchblade once per day! Leave a comment with the tweet status each time for one bonus entry per day!
Stumble this post for 3 entries! There is a handy dandy button below the post to make this easy! Comment 3 times!

This giveaway will end on October 21, 2009!

50 Categories : Contests, Sam's Club

Oct
10

Sam’s Club $100 Membership Giveaway

by Brandy

This giveaway has ended. The winner was comment #154. Congratulations!

I have posted a few times now about my new relationship with Sam’s Club. Sam’s provided my family with a Plus Membership so that I could experience it all first hand and share with my readers. Recently I told you about eValues. Sam’s has sent out a mailer that included more information about eValues. If you didn’t get this, I will share the highlights here.

Check this out for an example of some of the eValue savings!

samplesave

Sam’s Club is so confident about this new program that they have a guarantee! Sam’s Club guarantees that you will receive at least $200 in eValues savings, or they will pay for your membership! I love that the savings is spread out to include all sorts of items as you can see in the example above. My mother was concerned that it would be aimed at high ticket items. I’m so glad to be able to share that it is not! Items that we all need are included in this wonderful savings program that you can only get with the Plus Membership!

You can get a free printable day pass by clicking here! This pass is good until Ocotber 14th, 2009!

Also, you won’t want to miss the Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club! Check out a season full of awesome food samples, exciting chef events with live cooking demonstrations, easy and elegant meal ideas, decorating tips and more. Friday, November 20 – Sunday, November 22 from 11 am – 6 pm.

It is time for another Sam’s Club Advantage Plus 12 month Membership for one of my readers! This is valued at $100! If you already have a membership, you can still enter. You use this to upgrade to the plus membership and you can shop with the rest!

Main Entry: Are you a Coupon Shopper? What do you think of eValues?

Bonus entries: You must complete the main entry first!

Follow Sam’s Club on Twitter for one entry
Tweet this: “@SamsClubDeals @stitchblade eValues and a membership giveaway http://tinyurl.com/ygtfxe5” You can do this daily for 1 entry each time, leave a comment with your tweet status url.
Blog about this giveaway linking here and leave a comment with the link. This is good for 5 entries! Leave 5 separate comments.

This giveaway will end on October 17, 2009!

237 Categories : Contests, Sam's Club

Jul
8

Planning A Summer Family Vacation On A Budget!

by Brandy

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing! Sometimes though, we are so stressed out by the cost of this “relaxing vacation” that we spend the entire time worrying about money. That is no way to spend a vacation!

So how do you plan a stress free vacation?

Start with figuring out what you really want out of your vacation. Ask your family for input so that you can all plan a vacation that you all enjoy. You will also need to plan a vacation budget. The better you plan your budget, the better your vacation will be. I found a great family vacation budgeting form to use. Again, be sure to include the family in this. It will all go more smoothly if everyone is on board. You could set a daily target per day of what can be spent on each activity.

Once you know what you plan to spend, start a vacation savings fund. Add to this weekly or at each paycheck. Even if you empty your pocket change each night, I promise it all adds up!

Look for discounts offered by any membership clubs you belong too. AAA, Costco Travel Club and Sam’s Travel Club can sometimes save you money on hotels, car rentals and complete vacations. Another way to save is to travel when others are not! If you choose off season destinations you will most likely get an awesome deal on the trip and it will be significantly less crowded (a huge plus in my book).

When looking for a place to stay, search online for discounts. Also, call the hotel or resort directly to ask about current promotions and discounts. Look for accommodations that provide a kitchen. This way you can save a lot of money by not eating out. You could also look into a home swap. A home swap is where a family stays in your home while you stay in theirs.

I personally found a lot of great information on budget vacations while searching out info on debt consolidation. Consolidatedcredit.org offers a lot of information on saving money and budgets. They also offer services such as credit card debt help, credit counseling, debt management and financial education. The financial education section is full of helpful information on budgeting.

I promise you, with planning you can have a relaxing, enjoyable family vacation without overspending!

Do you have any tips on saving while vacationing? I would love to hear them!

1 Categories : Did You Know?

Archive for saving money

A Real Way to Save! Saving Savvy!

Clark Howard, He Sure Does Know His Stuff! Save Your Money!

Time for Some Coupons!

Save Money by Buying Glasses Online

New Years Resolution, Save Money in 2010!

What are some of your ideas to save money in 2009?

Current Giveaways at Not So Average Mama!

The Best Gifts For My Kids

Do You Still Write Checks?

I’ll Be Saving Money this Holiday Season

Savings Made Simple and $100 Sam’s Club Membership Giveaway!

Sam’s Club $100 Membership Giveaway

Planning A Summer Family Vacation On A Budget!

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