Let's see. I was all impressed with myself and my $47 bill at the grocery store on Thursday...but today we visited BJs. Let's just say that total made up for the tiny Thursday spend. In fairness to myself, I have a newborn that goes through a trillion diapers a day and they ain't cheap. This randomness leads to my first tip of the day.
If you belong to a warehouse club, be sure to check their policy on manufacturer's coupons. At BJs they not only mail out coupons for their stores, they let you stack manufacturer's coupons on top of them. I was able to get Pampers Baby Dry for about $0.13 per diaper. Diaper brand is a personal preference, but for us Huggies have just never worked as well as Pampers. This is my second time around with a newborn, so I speak from experience.
Another major savings today came in the baby formula aisle. If you are expecting, or know someone who is, PLEASE sign up on the major formula manufacturer's websites (if you are willing to share your information). Today I saved $18 on Nestle Goodstart, and I have saved $5 on Similac. The coupons eventually die down, but if you have to buy it anyway you might as well save where you can. They also send you samples, so you can test out what your bambino tolerates the best. Both Enfamil and Similac sent me good size samples, including six-two ounce "nursettes." If your baby doesn't have a sensitive stomach (mine does, unfortunately), the best savings are found buying store branded formulas. I have compared labels and they are the same as the name brands, just HALF the price. I encourage you to speak to your child's pediatrician about this, since I'm in no way attempting to provide medical advice here; my sons' doctor said that we could go that route without any issues. I just chose to go with what I know works, as I'm a bit hesitant to try new things with my kiddos when it causes spit-up avalanches all over my new red sweater. For those that want to know, Goodstart is more broken down than the other two so is more easily digested - therefore reducing the number of avalanches on new red sweaters.
My last rambling for today, I promise, is about what I won't go cheap on. I'm a bit of a tree hugger (thanks Mom and Dad), so I have started making room in my budget for environmentally friendly products. I have been buying dish detergent for a little while and today I added laundry detergent to the mix. I figure by adding one product at a time it won't kill my budget or shock my system, being the frugal gal I am, but I kind of don't mind spending more to take care of our planet. I recycle, I reuse what I can and look for things that come with minimal packaging when I can (thank you Coffee People for shipping my K-cups responsibly). I need to offset my Keurig habit somehow. Now, when those things are recyclable I will feel MUCH better.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Post script to my first entry
The best thing that I did today to save money was starting my blog. It's free, requires little commitment until anyone actually reads it, and gives me a new hobby to try out. I'm not a very creative person, but I like to talk - a lot. Blogging about something gives me a chance to be a smidge creative, but having a specific topic keeps the mouth from the south (of Vermont) on track.
First blog post - a recap
So, since I'm on leave from work for a short time, and not being paid for part of it, we have to be a bit careful with the money we spend. I thought posting a daily, or almost daily, recap of how I do that would be fun for me and hopefully helpful to someone else. I'm not claiming to be an expert, just a Wife and a Mommy that does not want to have to work outside our home and any way I can save money is one more step towards that goal. Here goes.
Today's frugal happening is...well...just that I passed up stopping for coffee on the way home from an errand. I drank the pot of coffee made by my fantastic hubby a little earlier than normal and, after I finished what I was up to, I was DYING for a quick cup of the high test best. I figure that I saved about $2.50 by sticking to my budgetary guns. Based on the three days a week I have to run out early, that saves me $7.50/week or about $350 year (based on 50 weeks, allowing a couple of weeks for when we're on vacation or otherwise engaged).
Since this is my first posting, and I'm hoping that SOMEONE will not only read this but find something useful, I'm adding a couple of frugal happenings that have occurred while I've been on leave. A little extra bang for your proverbial buck, which is what this is all about anyway.
The big savings I've noticed is in the "dining out" category of our monthly budget. I was allowing for one or two visits to the cafeteria at work, per week. Each visit cost $6, on average, so that's $12 per week. Based on the same 50 week assumption, that would be $600 saved per year.
Also food related, m y recent grocery store savings. It works out that my fantastic in-laws infrequently shop at Stop and Shop using a rewards card. To lure them in, the company mails them coupons/incentives. Since some of the incentives require you to spend a certain amount, which my in-laws won't meet, they give us the coupons. The most recent coupon was for $8 off $50 or more, along with a free item (this week was butter - I love to bake, so butter is a staple on the list). I have a family of four, so you know I can meet the minimum. My point here is to set up a trade with a family member or a friend in the same situation - you and your friend shop at different stores, using rewards programs, and swap the incentive coupons for the store you don't typically visit. Total saved this week was about $11.50 - $8 plus $3.50 for the butter. By sticking to my list and keeping with what was on sale, my total grocery bill was $47.
Another area for saving, where I've actually been more creative, is using all the items in my pantry that have been ignored. When I would come home from work and have to make a meal, I would typically focus only on the things in the front. With more time in my day, I'm using that time to really go through what I have on hand and include that in what I'm making. Food manufacturer web sites, like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker, made it even easier to figure out what to do with all that stuff just hanging out waiting to expire.
I write like I talk, as my 10th grade English teacher once told me, so nothing is ever going to be brief or to the point in my musings. You've been warned.
Today's frugal happening is...well...just that I passed up stopping for coffee on the way home from an errand. I drank the pot of coffee made by my fantastic hubby a little earlier than normal and, after I finished what I was up to, I was DYING for a quick cup of the high test best. I figure that I saved about $2.50 by sticking to my budgetary guns. Based on the three days a week I have to run out early, that saves me $7.50/week or about $350 year (based on 50 weeks, allowing a couple of weeks for when we're on vacation or otherwise engaged).
Since this is my first posting, and I'm hoping that SOMEONE will not only read this but find something useful, I'm adding a couple of frugal happenings that have occurred while I've been on leave. A little extra bang for your proverbial buck, which is what this is all about anyway.
The big savings I've noticed is in the "dining out" category of our monthly budget. I was allowing for one or two visits to the cafeteria at work, per week. Each visit cost $6, on average, so that's $12 per week. Based on the same 50 week assumption, that would be $600 saved per year.
Also food related, m y recent grocery store savings. It works out that my fantastic in-laws infrequently shop at Stop and Shop using a rewards card. To lure them in, the company mails them coupons/incentives. Since some of the incentives require you to spend a certain amount, which my in-laws won't meet, they give us the coupons. The most recent coupon was for $8 off $50 or more, along with a free item (this week was butter - I love to bake, so butter is a staple on the list). I have a family of four, so you know I can meet the minimum. My point here is to set up a trade with a family member or a friend in the same situation - you and your friend shop at different stores, using rewards programs, and swap the incentive coupons for the store you don't typically visit. Total saved this week was about $11.50 - $8 plus $3.50 for the butter. By sticking to my list and keeping with what was on sale, my total grocery bill was $47.
Another area for saving, where I've actually been more creative, is using all the items in my pantry that have been ignored. When I would come home from work and have to make a meal, I would typically focus only on the things in the front. With more time in my day, I'm using that time to really go through what I have on hand and include that in what I'm making. Food manufacturer web sites, like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker, made it even easier to figure out what to do with all that stuff just hanging out waiting to expire.
I write like I talk, as my 10th grade English teacher once told me, so nothing is ever going to be brief or to the point in my musings. You've been warned.
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