“Ways I Save Money” Archive
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I really enjoyed my Friday night fun. I learned a lot about couponing and got some tips on meal planning too. I’m feeling pretty good about my already existing meal planning habits. We are accustomed to eating at home so it is good that we haven’t had to make major changes there. Eating out for 5 or 6 is a crazy expense.
I’m sitting at my dining room table right now with the coupon circulars spread about. There’s a whole world out there on this couponing thing! Wow! I had no idea! As expected, we learned that we live in a tough market given the market control held by one giant, but I like what I hear about CVS, Walgreens and Target. www.coupondad.net has a great “CVS 101″ and “Walgreens 101″ bit that I found tremendously helpful. It can be very intimidating so my goal is to just start with health and beauty items. If I can save on soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss and hair color…oh and batteries…that’s a great place to start. I can’t seem to get a handle on stockpiling groceries yet but I’m open to it…especially pasta. Please don’t tell me to make my own pasta. I will not make my own pasta–although I AM often very taken by all of that fun and expensive pasta making stuff when I visit the high end culinary stores. “Culinary.” Even using that word makes me chuckle. You know…the Williams-Sonoma, Sur le table…oh my goodness I love going in those stores. I don’t buy anything mind you but the idea of having all those kitchen gadgets is so fun! But…I digress…
Anyway…I’ll report back on my success on this baby step…and all the other baby steps. I’m feeling a little bit like I have all of these great ideas but I haven’t taken a whole lot of ACTION.
Oh how I will miss it but it is time. I haven’t actually been in about 2 months which means those pesky grays have returned! Every time I commit to just going gray I bail b/c I JUST turned 40 and I’m just not ready yet!!! I never thought I’d color my hair and didn’t start until I was 37. I have black hair so the grays arrive with what seems like trumpets and flares! I really did try to talk myself into embracing them but…it hasn’t happened. So, I’ve been paying for salon coloring (of just one color…matching my natural…nothing fancy) for over 3 years. Yea, I’m over it. Now I need to be brave enough to do the store bought color. Please send any tips you have. I think I will still use the same hairdresser for my haircuts but no more blowdry and style. That really needs to be a treat! With hair products (which I also have an addiction to…), this was adding up to $150-225 per visit (about every 8 weeks). GAD! That’s awful!!! I admit it!! I also know this is tangible progress b/c 3 months ago I would have fought you to the mat on this issue! I LOVE having my hair done. I admit it. I love it so much I was willing to spend serious money…and get into more debt…to make it happen! A haircut alone with my guy is $30 and if color my own I can go a LONG time b/w haircuts…I should set that as a goal. Maybe 1 cut every six months! Don’t laugh at me! 
The money saved will, of course, go to debt.
Now, I’ll be honest. I am not going to cut my own hair and I am not going to ask my husband or any other relative to cut my hair. Maybe one day when my vision is worse and I can’t see what has happened…but not anytime soon! I admire those who do this but I am not there. I also should admit that it only takes one really awful experience with a discount haircut kinda place to make a girl think twice before trying that again (think “I’d like a bang trim please” being heard by the stylist as “please make me look like Cleopatra.” Awful. And right before my Senior prom!) I’ll listen to your success stories though and be open minded about it all!
I’m having a funny vision….of me with really bad hair with a really bad grocery store color job…eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in Vegas. All in the name of debt reduction! As it should be!
Tell me some of your changes in the health and beauty department. I’m anxious to hear!
Every so often, my husband’s health insurance company, Anthem Blue Cross, mails us a magazine called Healthy Solutions. Admittedly, I only browse this magazine in the short trip from the mailbox to the recycling bin, but an article caught my eye. The article was titled, ‘Wondering how to stay healthy in an economy that’s not?’
The article shared ways Anthem is working to save you money by helping you stay healthy. Sure, healthier members save Anthem money, but there’s nothing wrong with a little win-win right?!?
I browsed the website was surprised at the free offerings from his insurance provider including free workout plans by Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser, health tips, ways to save on prescriptions, free health assessments, members only discounts on vitamins/eyeglasses/hearing aids/gym memberships/etc., doctor ratings, and lifestyle improvement programs.
I checked into my health insurance provider and they offered tons of freebees as well. Save a little cash and check with your health insurance company. You may very well be paying for something you could get for less!
For those of you Grouponers, there is a new daily deal discounter for health and wellness products, Healthdeals.com.
Healthdeals offers discounts on gym memberships, nutrition bars, beauty products, and more. Today’s deals include: Beautorium, Purefit, Sha ToBu, Fusion Power Band, Funkoos, and Bashful Bump.
I’ve said it before, I’m not a Groupon member and I’m not a Healthdeals member either. But you can browse the offerings without signing up. DON’T BUY STUFF YOU DON’T ALREADY BUY!! But if you need something health related, you may be able to save a little money.
Best of luck!
I was listening to a local finance radio show and couldn’t help but giggle at their advice on how to save money while shopping based on a nationwide study. Apparently, shoppers spend less when they have to, um, how do I say this…
when they have to pee.
Shoppers feel rushed and spend less time wandering stores, thus, add less to their shopping carts.
Somehow, I just can’t see myself hurriedly downing a couple quarts of water so Target would have a less painful hit on my pocketbook BUT, I know it would work. How? This weekend, I ran a couple errands while my husband watched our sleeping baby at home. I’m nursing the little guy so my window of time away is TINY. I found myself power walking (and admittedly, occasionally RUNNING) through the grocery store, the shoe store, and the library. There wasn’t one item purchased that wasn’t on my list because I simply didn’t have the luxury of time to wander. My husband laughed at my new ability to shop quickly and cheaply.
So, if you aren’t trapped by a nursing infant…
try drinking lots of water.
I wanted to have some maternity photos taken before the baby decided to make an appearance. Thinking it wouldn’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars for a decent photographer, I started to research my area for recommendations.
Apparently I’m WAY out of the loop on the actual cost of a photographer.
Starting price? $600. Top of the range? Prices not listed because if you have to ask… you can’t afford it.
Yes, we have money saved in our baby fund but when it comes down to spending an extra week or two with the baby OR having maternity photos, I choose baby time.
Of course, this made me break down into a giant puddle of tears. There’s nothing worse than a woman who can’t have what she wants… unless it’s a PREGNANT woman who can’t have what she wants.
So. I called for reinforcements.
SNIFFFFFFFFLE. *ring* “Liz? Ican’taffordmaternityphotosbecausewe’rebrokeandI’msosad.Pleasehelpme” I sobbed in a single breath into the phone to my sister.
“Huh?” she said.
I probably should have had my level headed husband call so she could understand at least a few words.
She eventually figured out what I was crying about (…this time…) and offered to take photos for us.
I researched poses and locations while she studied how to adjust the F-stop and ISO on a camera. We spent a couple nights at the beach and the park chasing sunlight and snapping photos. Sure, she isn’t a pro and I’m not a good subject, but you learn to accept you can’t have everything you want while paying off mistakes *cough* I mean, while paying off debt.
I’ll admit. I didn’t expect much. BUT…
I’m so happy with the way the photos turned out. Who knew my sister was a closet photographer?
It’s easy to give up, but don’t. Constantly look for ways to think outside the box. You may be pleasantly surprised.
I scrimp, I save, I budget but there are two things that can empty my bank account in three seconds flat:
My mortgage and Costco Wholesale.
I suffered an attack from both yesterday.
My mortgage cleared my account in the morning and even though I’m prepared, even though it’s budgeted, it’s always a little disheartening to feel rich one day and broke the next. It’s like watching a car full of cash leave my checking account each month.
For some reason, I thought yesterday might also be a good time to go to Costco. We ran out of paper towels and we would soon need napkins and toilet paper. This trip SHOULD have cost $45.
I tried to make a straight line down the center of the store, directly to the paper products (conveniently placed in the BACK) but found myself saying, ‘Peaches? OF COURSE I need a huge flat of peaches. Sure, it’s only hubby and me and we’ll have to eat 17 peaches each in the next 5 days, but I CAN’T live without them.’
It’s as if all logical thought and reasoning disappear at those roll-up doors.
I loaded the cart with apples, pre-cooked dinners, dog food, and paper products. My exit cost me…
$191.
I’m tricked into thinking I’m ‘saving money’ by purchasing toilet paper 92 rolls at a time but those rolls are typically accompanied by loads of items I don’t need.
It’s not as if anything I purchased will go to waste, but it will take 10 years for us to use it all. Fortunately, my husband worked a side job a few weekends ago and we had the cash, but that’s $191 that won’t be going into our emergency fund this month.
I think I’m going to have to break up with Costco.
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My Debt
- Original Debt: $97,293.06
- Paid: $1,927.89
- Remaining: $95,365.17
- Emergency Fund: $1100
- Broken Down
- Line of Credit 2: $0.00
- Line of Credit 1: $0.00
- Credit Card 1: $0.00
- Credit Card 2: $245.00
- Credit Card 3: $405.00
- Credit Card 6: $1,785.00
- Credit Card 7: $2,381.17
- Consolidation Loan: $11,000.00
- Credit Card 10: $14,519.00
- Auto Loan 1: $16,093.00
- Credit Card 11: $23,873.00
- Auto Loan 2: $25,064.00
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- Josephsangl.com
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- Personal Finance Advice
- pfblogs.org
