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{getting back into couponing} days 5, 6 and 7~clip and shop!

January 6, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

extreme couponing, bandwagonWell, here we are, wrapping up the first week of the new year. One of my resolutions is to get back into saving money on my groceries, pay attention to what I’m buying, pay more attention to what we’re wasting and overall just be a better shopper. It takes time, it takes effort, but I think the savings I will see are significant and worth the time and effort.

So if you’ve been with us since Day 1, we are now at Day 5. And today’s task, and the task f0r tomorrow and the next day…. clip your coupons and shop!

We should be all ready–we cleaned out our pantries, we looked at the sales ads, we planned our meals for the week, so now it’s clip today’s coupons, complete your list and go.

This week, I’m choosing Superfresh. I go back and forth between Superfresh and Acme, usually going to Acme. But I like the P&G deal they have and the cereal is a good price. Since I don’t need much–just milk and produce and a few other things, Superfresh is just a better choice.

Another thing I’m going to try to resolve to do–shop alone. Even if it means I go at night when I’m tired, I’m going by myself. My kids just really mess up my deals and couponing mojo and I can’t think.

Have a great week!



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{getting back into couponing} Day 5~meal planning and shopping list

January 5, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

extreme couponing, bandwagonHere we are, Day 5. Hopefully you got everything done so far, if not, it’s the weekend and maybe you have time to catch up. Since it’s Saturday and we have the week ahead of us, today is a bigger task-meal planning!

We’ve cleaned out our binders, we’ve looked at the sales ads, we’ve cleaned out our pantries, so now we just have to plan our meals based on what is on sale and what we already have.

I was recently introduced to a new meal planning service called e-meals. I haven’t tried it yet but am going to sign up today and see how it goes. I know lots of other bloggers use it and it was recommended to me. I currently use Food On The Table, and another one that’s now out there is Meals by the Week. They also combine meal planning and menu ideas with the sales ads of 18 different stores. Food on the Table does that, so I hope emeals does it too. Click that banner to get a free trial of Meals by the Week.



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{getting back into couponing} day 4-browsing sales ads and gathering printable coupons

January 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

extreme couponing, bandwagonWelcome to another day of getting back into couponing–our step by step plan to get us back in the habit of clipping coupons and saving money. Below you can see what we’re doing each day if you need to catch up.

Today, this is what I’m doing–browsing sales ads and gathering printable coupons.

I usually get my ads in my mail on Wednesday, but when they are late I almost always have them by Friday. This also is a good day for me to do this, because after I put the boys to bed, or if I let them stay up and watch a movie, I will have time to get it done.

I’m browsing the ads to see at first glance what appeals to me, and circling it. Any catalina offers that look decent, sales and so on. I also am crossing off items in the ad that I know I DO NOT need. Yesterday I did my pantry and my freezer so I have a good idea of which items I don’t need. The big X over the item in my ad will serve as a reminder while I’m shopping that I do not need to buy that unless it’s free.

My next step is to hit the printable sites and print what I want and clip them. If I do this right after I browse the ads, then I sorta have an idea in my head of what is on sale. For example, I browsed and saw lots of General Mills deals, so I know to click and print the GM coupons if I see them.

And that’s it, that’s all I’m doing today. Saturday and Sunday will be some bigger tasks, so get caught up on these days’ tasks if you haven’t already. There are 5 inserts coming this Sunday!

If you look at the list of categories directly under the blog header/banner, you see where it says “COUPONS.” That will take you to all the various printable coupon sites-Coupons.com, SmartSource, RedPlum, Catalina/CouponNetwork, Cellfire and SavingStar.


Filed Under: Back to Basics-extreme couponing for the beginners, Grocery Store ads, deals, matchups, coupons and clearance finds Tagged With: ,

Need Extra Money?

September 16, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Need extra money? Search through your house and ask yourself these questions.

What do you have that you haven’t used in 6 months or more?

What clothes do you never wear, have crammed in storage totes or the back of a closet?

What clothes did your kids outgrow?

What decor do you never use?

Jewelry you never wear?

Storaged items you never use?

Gifts you never used, and come on, let’s be honest, never will?

Holiday decor you aren’t planning to use or sat through 2 seasons un-used?

SELL THEM!!

Ebay, Craigslist, consignment stores, FB  pages for selling in your local area, yard sales, seasonal kids’ clothing sales. Be creative. Don’t use just one outlet but try to cross-post smartly. Once you have your space organized with the things you want to sell it will make it much easier.

Make sure things are clean, unstained, all in one piece, and in good condition. If you have the packaging for it that is even better.

This summer I made $200 between 2 yard sales, $30 off a kids’ clothing sale, and approximately $30 through online networking with other locals through Facebook. It’s addicting. Thankfully most days I don’t feel like selling my kids. (JOKING – I wouldn’t want to sell my kids even on our worst days.) Even better, get your kids involved in selling. It’s a great way to teach them to be smart with money. This is especially beneficial when they have too many toys and want yet another new toy.

 

We would love to hear some of the ways you make money on the “stuff” cluttering up your house or a brag on your most awesome score. Please share in the comments below.

 

 

Filed Under: Back to Basics-extreme couponing for the beginners, Home Sweet Home, Raising Smart Spenders Tagged With: ,
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