Why I don’t post every coupon out there

September 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Two years ago, wow has it been that long already, I had made the decision to stay at home with my then 1 year old son and my daughter who was in 3rd grade. Part of our monthly income had decreased and if I wanted to stay at home I needed to change a few things about how the money was leaving the house. I saw a show on Nate Burkus where several ladies purchased carts full of food that was around $1,000 for about $20.00 bucks. This was before that show Extreme Couponing came out on TLC. So I did a little homework to see how I could do this and I found out I was using coupons all wrong. This changed how I shopped for groceries forever.

At first, I was getting a lot of food for FREE or really cheap. I was really excited at how I could bring in a whole grocery cart of food for just a few bucks. But then I really started looking at the quality of food I was buying and what I was getting for “FREE.” A lot of it was junk food or food with a lot of ingredients in that food I can’t pronounce and loaded with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. YUCK! I want food not just empty calories! I decided I didn’t really want to be feeding this to my family anymore. I became more aware of the food I was purchasing to nourish our bodies.

Did you know there are coupons out there for really good things?

I try to promote brands I believe in, that have good nutritional value. You won’t see coupons for sugary coco puff cereals on here. I try to promote a coupon or product I truly believe in.  I may purchase or promote something that may not fall completely into these guidelines. These items are usually seen as treats in my home and not to be considered something that is eaten on a daily basis. I want you and encourage you to print coupons and support these brands that are trying to provide real food for people.One way you can support Pounds4Pennies is to print these coupons and support these brands.  I do get a tiny commission from these prints. Read my Policies page for more legal info.

Pay attention to the coupon and the wording on the coupon. If it says ANY, don’t just buy the one on the picture. See if that brand offers a natural product, or one with NO High Fructose Corn Syrup, or No Additives or Preservatives. For canned fruit buy the one in 100% natural juice. Become an educated consumer and buy brands and items that are natural and good, if you can’t afford organic. I buy organic when I can or if the price is reasonable and within my budget.

How can I help you improve your budget and quality of food?

I provide you with my Friday Finals to show you what kind of food I buy. I give you recipes so you can see how to make good, healthy (sometimes fun) food with every day ingredients you may already have. My Facebook page and Twitter account are available to provide you with ways to save on buying good food for your family. You don’t have to eat out all the time because you don’t have money to buy groceries or have time to cook. If you plan and buy what you need, you can provide your family with great food on less that what you would spend if you went out to eat. 

 How can I help you more here at Pounds4Pennies? Is there any particular post you would like to see more often? 

Filed Under: Budgeting, Couponing, Healthy Couponing

Mission Organization

August 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My mission for this year is the organization of my home and to get rid of clutter. I am not a hoarder, but at times I feel I might be a bit borderline. But it is probably more like laziness than hoarder. I have come up with a couple of awesome home organization ideas that have made my life easier. I hope these help  you too!

I would really like a clean organized home, but sometimes if I am cleaning up I can’t make a decision right then I will create a pile of stuff. Well then that pile gets bigger, and who wants to tackle a large pile of stuff anyways? In order to keep things under control, I try to go through the pile once a week to get rid of things, or find a new home for for items that seem to have accumulated in that dreadful pile.

Sometimes that means creating a new home for all that miscellaneous stuff that seems to pile up. My house doesn’t have a ton of built in storage space. In order to tackle the lack of storage, I have been creating much needed storage places on a budget. I know most people don’t have extra money to buy large pieces of furniture for organization in their home.  I have allotted myself $15 a week for tackling my storage and organization issues. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but you will be amazed how you can solve a lot of storage problems with as little as $15 a week. Once I have an area designated for an item, it is easy to get up with the organization of that space.

I am able to shop at an Ikea near me. I just love this store. It is very easy to spend much more than $15 a week there. I try go every two weeks around payday and buy just what I need for $30. By creating my budget and spending just what I need I am able to organize my home and stay within my small decorating budget.

Under the Stairs Organization

home organization ideas closet under the stairs

I have been able to organize my closet under the stairs for only $60.00. Haven’t you always wondered what do to do with that space?  I have also been able to keep this organized and cleaned up, since I have cleaned it up. I have had to get items from under the stairs several times and easily put everything away. One tip on getting organized is to think about storage vertically. Go up! These baskets all slide out to grab what is needed and slide back in. These even come all the way out, when I am working on a project and I need everything inside. Then I just slide it back in when I am done.

Command Center Home Organization Idea

command center home organization idea

The next space I wanted to get organized was my command center. I need one spot to track where the kids need to be and when my husband is traveling for the month. This also is great when I am planning meals for the week. Little face also creates a lot of artwork from school and I love to display it, just not on my fridge. I have moved his magnetic toys to over at the command center. Moving both his artwork and his toys frees up space on my fridge and allows him to play out from under my feet in the kitchen when it is time to cook.  These three magnetic boards were $15 each. So this was $45 to put this fabulous command center together and provide more organization for the family. This has provided me with peace of mind and a little self esteem for little face.

With just a small budget you can do big things and create that fabulous place to organize your stuff instead of clutter and frustration. I have to say I love going into my closet under the stairs and being able to get everything I want and not getting angry that I can’t find what I need fast or destroying the whole closet looking for the one thing I need in there.

Figure out what you want or need. It may be a stylish new couch or that new TV you want or just to buy more storage for your home. Look at your budget and see how much you can put aside each week. Take your budget money from your check each week and pay yourself to start saving for organization. Place this money in a secure place in your home. Figure out how many weeks it will take for you to reach your goals. Then you will have a nice fund to purchase your item. It is really easy to do. It just takes some determination and dedication.



Filed Under: Budgeting, Organization

Start Saving for College

August 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Start Saving for College

School is starting up soon and we will be sending our little ones off to learn as much as they can in those hallowed halls. Have you started thinking about saving for college for when they leave those school halls? Do you have a saving plan in place? Whether you already have something in place or not, you can sign up for a Upromise account.

This is one of the easiest ways to start saving for college. Get started now right in time for back to school. I signed up for Upromise when my daughter was just a baby. After you sign up you can enter your grocery and drug store savings cards and credit card numbers onto their very secure site. Then based on the products you purchase Upromise will make a deposit into your child’s Upromise account. You can tie these savings to a 529 plan or wait for them to build and take out a lump sum. Basically the more you spend the more you are saving for college for your child.

Upromise offers savings in all areas such as grocery coupons, travel, restaurant deals and more. For my coupon fans, they have coupons you can load or coupons at retail stores. There are more than 800 online stores and 8000+ restaurants to choose from. You are bound to find some where you can save. Just think of saving on nearly every purchase you make and having that money go towards your child’s college fund. I can’t think of a better way to save.

Easy Ways for saving for college:

  • Shop on line through Upromise
  • Eat out at participating Upromise restaurants
  • Go to the grocery store and drug store
  • Invite family and friends to share in the savings

What are you waiting for? Sign them up today to start saving for college as you send them off to learn.

Filed Under: Budgeting, Money Saving Tips

Higher Beef & Pork Prices – How you can save during this drought

August 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I know we have heard the hype on the news lately. So I want to inform you a little about what is or will be happening at the grocery stores soon and ways to save right now to avoid higher costs in the future.

Why does corn have to do with beef prices and milk?

The corn that is grown to feed livestock is more susceptible to drought conditions than the corn grown for human consumption. Therefore, it will be more expensive to feed cattle and pigs due to the drought in the Midwest corn growing area.

The Agriculture department expects groceries prices, including beef prices, to rise between three and four percent. This is at a much faster rate than normal due to these large drought conditions.

What can you do now, so this price increase won’t hurt your wallet?

According to USA Today article the beef and pork prices will drop over the next few weeks. Now is the time to stock up on these meat and dairy products if you can. Beef and pork prices will start to climb after a few weeks. We may even be facing a meat shortage over the next 6 months. We are at our lowest beef inventory since 1973.

What can you do to help your budget in during this time?

1. Go Meatless. Start by have at least one meatless meal a week that includes a protein such as beans or nuts. This will reduce your use of meat during the week and might even help your waist line!

2.Stretch what you buy.  If you buy 5 lbs of hamburger meat, divide that out into 6 packs for freezing. Now you can make six meals instead of five. 

3. Cook Once Serve Twice. Make large meals with less expensive vegetables such as soups and stews during the winter. A large soup or stew can easily be stretched it into more than one meal. 

4. Go Nuts. Include more seeds and nuts in your meals. Use nut butters for sandwiches. (or sun butter for those allergic to nuts)

Here are a few meals that might help your budget:

Corn Dog Muffins! – the kids will love them

Homemade Lara Bars – Great for Breakfast and packed with nuts and fruit

Easy chicken Cordon Bleu - Serve with rice to make this a meal!

Here are all the coupons I could find on products to help you save money right now:

Items that are Bold are meat items I recommend printing right now!

$2.50 off when you buy any THREE Mrs. Paul’s® or Van De Kamp’s® ParchmentBakes™  – Include a meal of fish!

$1.50 off when you buy any TWO Mrs. Paul’s® or Van De Kamp’s® ParchmentBakes™ - Include a meal of fish!

55¢ off when you buy any ONE MORNINGSTAR FARMS® Veggie Foods Product - Go Meatless

SAVE $1.00 on any one (1) package of Weight Watchers® Chicken Breasts, Tenders or Burgers -CHICKEN!

$1.00 off 1 package of Butterball Turkey Burgers  - TURKEY

$1.00 OFF any TWO (2) packages of Land O’Frost Premium®, DeliShaved® or Bistro Favorites™ - LUNCH Meat

 

$1.00 off when you buy any FIVE Balance Bar® Singles (1.76 oz) - extra Protein

 

$1.00 off when you buy any TWO Knorr® Homestyle Stocks - Stocks for Soups and Stews

 

65¢ off when you buy any ONE Knorr® Homestyle Stock - Stocks for Soups and Stews

 

$1.10 off when you buy any ONE Smart Balance® Spreadable Butter - Dairy Product

$1.50 off 3 12 oz. SPAM products  (I don’t think this fall under healthy, but I ate it on salads growing up)

$1.00 off One Half Gallon 8th Continent Soy Milk - Milk alternative

$1.00 off (1) One NEW! Almond Plus from Coconut Milk  - Milk Alternative

$1.00 off One Half Gallon of Rice Dream - Milk alternative

$0.50 off two Yoplait Greek yogurts  - Dairy

$0.40 off six Yoplait Yogurts - Dairy

$0.75 off ONE Yoplait Frozen Smoothie  - Dairy

$1.00 off five PowerBar Products  - Protein

$1.00 off 1 Jamba All Natural Frozen Smoothie Kit  - Dairy

Sources used for this article:

USA Today

 Associated Press

Filed Under: Budgeting, Money Saving Tips

Back to School Shopping

July 9, 2012 by 2 Comments

Back to School Shopping With Maximum Savings

It is July and it is also time to start your back to school shopping. Yes that is right; it is time to start back to school shopping. This is when Staples, Target, Kroger and office stores start the back to school sales. Don’t just think back to school, this is a great time to stock up on office supplies for your home for the entire year. Instead of buying just one box of crayons buy several to use throughout the year or you can donate them.

Back to school shopping

Back to School at Staples

Staples will have just about the entire store on sale from now until schools starts. If you have never shopped there, they offer a reward program when you sign up for a Staples card. Just like the ones you get at grocery stores. They also have a deal called easy rebate. Items will be indicated if there is an easy rebate for the item. A form will print out on the receipt and you can fill it out on-line once you get home or you can fill it out manually and they will send you the rebate in the mail. It is super easy. They will have different items each week for a penny. Most of these have a limit to the number you can purchase. So keep this in mind when planning your back to school shopping trip. Keep checking those Sunday papers too. The $5/$30 purchase coupons are back. This will take an additional $5 off of your $30 or more purchase.

Back to School Shopping items to stock up on:
1 Ream of Paper $1.00 or less
1 Crayons 24 $0.01
1 Glue $0.01
1 Pens Pack $0.01
1 Pack Sharpies $1.00 or less
1 Pack Glue Sticks $1.00 or less
1 Pack Dry Erase Markers $0.50
1 Tape 2 $1.00 or less (Stock up for Christmas!)
1 Pencils 12 $1.00 or less
2 Pack scissors $1.00 or less
1 in Binder $1.00 or less
1 Pack Markers $1.00 or less
1 Spiral Notebook $0.50 or less
 

Office Depot & Office Max

Office Depot and Office Max these are two separate stores however the deals here are very similar to Staples. Office Max has a program called MaxPerks rewards. This is similar to the Staples easy rebate where you get money back after purchasing the item. Office Max also has coupons in their circular for $5/$25 and additional store coupons. Scan these before you throw those circulars away from your newspaper. This is the time to score big on back to school shopping savings. Don’t miss out!

You can go here to another bloggy friend of mine for an ongoing list of deals and supplies Kari Raking in the Savings.

Get back into school shopping mode, and start hitting these stores to get the maximum savings for office supplies for the entire year. Paper, pencils and any crafts supplies now is the time to stock up! In August and September it will be too late and prices will increase. Now is the time to get all your back to school shopping done!

Filed Under: Budgeting, Couponing

Planning a Vacation on a Budget

May 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

Summer is almost here and we all want to go on a vacation somewhere to just get away and unplug.  However, most people think a vacation is not in their budget. Gas, food and lodging need to be considered when traveling not to mention money on the fun things you want to do. Since there are five of us we typically drive to where we are going instead of flying. Gas is way cheaper than five airplane tickets. Today I am going to share with you how we cut costs on our food bill by planning our vacation on a budget. This is great if you are planning on taking a road trip. 

Pack Snacks
I did something fun this last time. I made everyone a plastic baggie with their name on it. Then I put the following things on the counter for them to choose from to fill their bags: three varieties of Chex cereal, dried cranberries, raisins, cheese goldfish, graham goldfish and sunflower seeds. I asked them to grab a ¼ cup and put what they wanted into their bag. They all had a great time doing this and got exactly what they wanted no complaints. I held onto them until we got in the car. Then when we got into the car everyone had their own snacks to munch on when they were hungry. I also bring lots of extra snacks for when we are out exploring on our vacation.

Road Lunch
No, this is not ROAD KILL. I am frugal, but not THAT frugal. We like to pack what I call a road lunch, so we don’t have to stop to eat lunch somewhere along the way. This is extremely helpful when traveling long distances. A potty break takes less time than a meal break. I will get a 1.5lb link of Summer Sausage and 1-2 lbs cheese and cut them up and distribute them evenly in baggies with everyone’s names on them. We keep a small cooler in the vehicle to place the baggies in. Then I give them a sleeve of Ritz crackers to eat with their cheese and meat. Now there is no fighting some one got more than someone else.

Drinks
I have managed to get everyone a water bottle with their name on it and a strap to carry it. Before we leave I make sure I fill up all the water bottles and place them in the fridge. If I remember I try to place them in the freezer about an hour before we leave, so they are really cold. Then I put them in our cooler in the vehicle. I still bring extra plastic water bottles and juice boxes to drink on the road. But I have started out with filtered water from the fridge first then they can refill with the water bottle later down the road. Then we will fill them up before we leave the next morning so everyone has something to drink and we can fill them up through out the day and not spend money on sugary drinks. 

Take it to go
If we are driving we will bring most of our food with us for the week. This makes more room in our budget for the fun things we want to do. I will do a meal plan where I can use the leftovers from the previous meal to make another. This does take some creativity. We usually get a place with a full kitchen, so we can cook our own meals. For lunch we pack a picnic lunch of sandwiches and chips or something simple we can eat while we are out touring around. Most of the time we can find a picnic area to eat at while we are there. We are there to see the sights and experience the place we are visiting. This makes for more memorable experiences with our family than sitting down to eat at a McDonald’s or some other fast food place. My kids still remember several vacations where we had fun picnic lunches and the kids could run around and have fun.

We like to go out once or twice to experience the local cuisine.  If you check out Groupons before you leave for the places you are going for restaurants – read reviews. Then you can save money on eating out too. Groupon has a ton of deals you can get before you leave to save even more money on activities and food!

Here are a few meals I cook ahead of time, so we can have these for quick meals and snacks on our trip:

Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

Taco Soup

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Biscuit Empanadas

Here are some tips for you on Planning a Vacation on a Budget. Do you do anything frugal when planning your vacation? I would love to hear from my fabulous readers on any frugal things you do when on vacation. 

Filed Under: Budgeting

Stop Throwing Money Away

May 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

I hate buying things that I have to throw away. It is like just taking your money and throwing it in the trash can. The only thing that I don’t mind and will not reuse is toilet paper. I am sure you have my back on this one. However there are some alternatives when it comes to other products around your home you use every day. 

Frugal Money Saving Ideas

One thing is paper napkins. Yes, it is important to be tidy at the table. But we don’t need to create waste in doing so. The best solution I have it using cloth napkins. Buy a couple of sets for your family. This will add to your laundry a little bit, but this is also a good job for someone to help out. If you can find them at the dollar store or Target great! You could even make your own. Don’t go all out buying something nice. These are going to get dirty and stained. Save the good ones for when company is coming over. 

Make your own cleaning cloths. I love the convenience of using Clorox wipes. But did you know you can make your own and just wash them? Yes it is true. Grab some old t-shirts that are holy, I mean that have holes in them. Your husband old t-shirts are the best. Cut them up to a preferable square shape and keep one of your cleaning cloth containers or you can use a baby wipe container. Mix about 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon bleach and 1 teaspoon dish washing liquid and put the cut up cloths in there. When they get dirty just pop them in the washing machine. Wash them like you would normally in the wash then place them back in the container. How easy is that? You maintain a sanitized cleaning cloth and for only a few pennies. I like things for pennies.

Paper towels. I have around 7-8 hand or kitchen towels and wash cloths for the kitchen. I use them frequently during the day for spills and things. At the end of the day I put the one used in the dirty clothes and grab a fresh one for the next day. This soak up more than a paper towel would and by rotating it daily bacteria does not grow, since I am only using it one day.

No More Baggies. I don’t buy baggies very often. I usually pack lunches in plastic containers, even the chips. When they get home I just pop the containers into the dishwasher. This eliminates buying a bunch of plastic bags that will be thrown away. Don’t get me wrong I do buy them, sometimes it is just better to put it in a baggie. I do try to be creative and see if I can get by using something that can be washed instead.

These are not only several frugal ideas, but also a few eco friendly ideas. Think about the amount of waste you are reducing by not throwing away all those things. Then think about the money you are saving by not purchasing these items every few months. That is saving pounds4pennies.

Here are some more ideas to reduce, reuse or recycle:

Find more great savings deals and steals join Pounds4Pennies on: 

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BlogFrog community - Print FREE COUPONS & Deals                Facebook                                           Google+
Filed Under: Budgeting, Money Saving Tips, recycling, Ways to Go Green

Money Saving Monday – Realistic Budget

January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

How did you do working getting all your money divided out into buckets? Were you able to capture every dollar you spend? Probably not, but you should be able to see where the majority of your money is going. I not a financial expert, but I would like to share some ways I have found to save money and still be able to get have a great lifestyle. Now let’s take a look at some areas where you can shave some money off your budget.
1. Impulse buying
One important thing is to stop spending money on the little impulse buys you make, such as a drink at the convenience store or fast food restaurant for a soda. How about that extra coffee you get on your way to work? If you can cut $10 out of your budget on these items a week, you will save $40 a month or $520 a year. If you really enjoy a good cup of hot coffee from that great coffee chain based in Seattle, ask for gift cards for items like this. This makes your coffee FREE and you still get to enjoy a great cup of coffee.
2.  Entertainment Expenses
This depends on your family size and how often you go to some type of entertainment. Look to see if there is an alternative that is less expensive. Like going to the movies, see if there is a $1 movie or matinee in your area. You can still enjoy a movie for a much reduced cost. Evaluate all your options to see if there are also some FREE things you can do as a family. Parks are great and very inexpensive.
3. Going Out to Eat
This one is one that many people don’t realize how much they spend on eating out. This should be considered a treat. Spend your money on something worth eating, not always fast food. One way to stop getting fast food all the time is to have ready made food in your freezer or use a slow cooker. Try to make and have a few freezer meals cooked and ready in your freezer one weekend. These are great for when you are sick or just don’t feel like cooking that night, you will have something ready to go and not stop by to get some fast food before you get home. Also start something in the morning before you leave for work and let it cook all day in the slow cooker, you will have a nice warm meal when you get home. These are usually healthier options as well. You may just find being frugal will help you lose weight too!

Review

Now start trying to implement a few of these changes this week. See if you can start cutting back on a few areas. Examine your priorities and find out where you really want your money to go. If you are in a place where a flat tire would put you into debt, stop by next week where I will discuss how to start savings and what is a good amount to have in your savings account next week. You may be surprised.
Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  
Filed Under: Budgeting, Frugal living, Money Saving Tips, Organization

Money Saving Monday – Realistic Budget

January 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I took a little time off for the holidays to spend some time with my family. I am glad I got to spend some time with them, since my brother is in the hospital having gall bladder surgery. I just heard from my mom he is out and doing well.
I also got a wonderful gift from little face this Christmas. He is now potty trained. Right before Christmas he was dry for two days, so after that I said no more diapers and put him in underwear. He now only wears diapers for sleeping, but most of the time he wakes up dry. Since this has occurred, I will be reducing my budget down to $50 a week for the new year. New year = New challenges.

 

Since it is a new year I want to talk about budgeting and how this can help your marriage or any relationship you are in.  This will help everyone keep realistic expectations when it comes to money. I am not an expert in this field, but this is what works for me. I think it is better if you can see your actual budget on paper and see the picture of how this works. I will also be happy to help answer any questions about your budget to see where you may be able to cut some expenses. I love helping people.

How do you create a realistic budget?

One of the first things you need to do is see where is your money is going right now. Do you purchase most of your items with your debit or credit card or do you use cash? If using debit or credit pull out one or two of your statements. If you use cash this is a little more difficult, since you will need to collect all of your receipts and add them up at the end of the month. Go into excel and create a spreadsheet with row for each category. I will explain this in greater detail below. This way you can see all the buckets your money falls into.


Next look at your house or rent payment. This should not be more than 30% of your take home income. If it is more, you should consider moving or refinancing your home. This is the standard housing allowance for budgets. I worked in the mortgage industry for five years and when analyzing budgets this was our cutoff. If your interest rate is 6% or higher, you should consider refinancing now. Mortgage rates are very low right now. If you don’t own, you may consider purchasing a home. By refinancing when the market is low, you may be able to save quite a bit on your mortgage payment. We have refinanced twice and saved $500 off our current payment.

Now take a look at your bills such as electric, water, gas, car payment, insurance and any other bills you may have to pay on a regular basis. Make sure you do an average for things like electric, water and gas, since you are more likely to use more electricity in the summer to cool your home than you use in the winter.
Now review your spreadsheet with all your other statements to see if you have captured every dollar you spend. Do you have any annual expenses you pay? Be sure to include that in your monthly budget and set that money aside every month.

Ok let’s review your spreadsheet. In the first box, put your total household income you actually bring home. Then subtract all of your expenses for the month. How much do you have at the end of the month? If this is nothing or a negative number, you have a problem and need to cut unnecessary items from your budget or reduce one of your boxes. Did you make a payment to your savings account? If you are not saving any money, where are some of the areas you can cut? You should always try to make payment to savings no matter how small. This way if something comes up that you didn’t expect, you can pay cash instead of using credit and paying interest which is like throwing your money in the trash.
Next Monday I will talk about areas you can cut or ways you can save. Have you ever actually sat down and created a budget like this before? Now is the best time to start, since it is at the beginning of the year. Wouldn’t be a great habit to save money? Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to help you save some money this year.

Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join my Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more savings.

Filed Under: Budgeting, Frugal living, Money Saving Tips, Organization