Yet another weeks worths of groceries are planned, coupons clipped, price matches calculated and put away. Want the scoop?

Here’s the breakdown of a few items:

9 boxes of Kelloggs Cereal: Retail: $2.98 each. After Price Match: $1.33 each. After Coupon: $.63 each.

4 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal: Retail: $2.98 each. After Price Match: $1.49 each. After Coupon: $.49 each.

6 boxes of Zaterirain Rice: Retail: $1.76 per box. After Price Match: $1.00 each. After Coupon: $.67 each.

2 Pineapples: Retail: $2.97 each. After Price Match: $.99 each.

3 Cantelopes: Retail: $1.97 each. After Price Match: $.58 each.

4 Bags of Birds Eye Viola: Retail: $3.97 per bag. After Price Match: $1.99 per bag. After Coupon: $1.24 per bag.

4 Tubes of Aquafresh Kids Toothpaste: Retail: $1.97 a tube. After Price Match: $1.00 After Coupon: FREE

3 Boxes of Thermacare 2 count: Retail: $5.97 per box. After Price Match: $2.99 per box. After Coupon: FREE

4 Boxes of GE Lightbulbs: Retail: $1.97 per box. After Price Match: $1.00 per box. After Coupon: FREE

6 Packages of Ball Park Hotdogs: Retail: $3.97 each. After Price Match: $1.98 each. After Coupon: $1.60 each.

1 Package of Spanish Hot Chocolate Mix (Hilarous): Retail: $2.97. After Coupon: $1.04 Moneymaker!

Coppertone Water Babies Spray on Sunscreen: Retail: $9.97 After Price Match: $6.99 After Coupon: $5.99

6 Pounds of Boneless Chicken Breast: Retail: $3.99 per lb. After Price Match: $1.98 per lb. After Coupon: $.98 per lb. (this coupon was for $1 off chicken when you buy a Kraft Fresh Takes. I had 4 Freshtakes so I got $4 off my chicken purchase).

4 Kraft Freshtakes: Retail: $2.28 apiece. After Price Match: $2.00 apiece. After Coupon: $1.25 each + the $1 off per pkg. of chicken.

Plus much more! 

Full Retail Value: $267.15

After Price Matching: $164.10

After Coupons: $94.00

Saved: $173.15

That is a savings of 65%. 

When I’m doing normal weekly grocery shopping with produce and meat included, I am thrilled with anything over a 50% savings!

Recently, I’ve had a lot of questions recently about price matching. Hopefully this will answer some of your questions!

First off, I suggest that you read up on the Wal-Mart Price Matching Policy to familiarize yourself with the policy before you give it a go.

Remember, you do not have to bring in the ad. Just make your list beforehand (with the store match, just in case) and tell the cashier the price match. Depending on the savings the cashier most likely won’t call you out on anything. Let’s say for example, that Kroger has oranges for $.25 cents each and Walmart has them for $.38 each. 9.9 times out of 10 they will not ask for the ad. However, if the match is for a toy at Toys-R-Us that’s $15 and at Walmart it’s $35, chances are you’ll need the ad. Does that make sense?

Also, one very annoying thing about shopping at The Wal-Mart is that every store is different. Each interperts the coupon/price matching policy differently. And for that matter, often each cashier interprets it differently too. So, to be on the safe side, bring in the coupon/price matching policy. If the cashier is giving you a hard time, ask them to call a manager up.

For the most part I’ve had great experiences with price matching/coupons, but there have been a handfull of times that the cashier has given me a lot of grief. In fact, one night I was in line for over an hour and left in tears…but ya know what? I still saved a ton of money. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

Anyone still hesitant to being saving money? Any questions? I would love to help!

Meet our new addition.

No, we aren’t pregnant nor did a stork mysteriously land on our doorstep and deliver a baby into my arms.

Although I wouldn’t really mind Mr. Stork paying us a visit. Someday, that is.

Anyway, there is a new little one in our house.

She shall be named,  To-To.

You see, it began innocently enough.

On Saturday Zach had a great idea for what to do after naptime. He wanted to go to a nearby outdoor mall, walk around and eat dinner. It would be a change of pace for our little family.

We N-E-V-E-R do things like this. I literally could count on both hands the times that we’ve been out to eat with our babies. We just don’t do it. #1. As I’ve said before, eating out is a total waste of money. #2. It’s risky. My babies are very well behaved and happy little people almost all the time…but I’ve been in enough restaurants where kids start losing their minds and screaming their ever lovin’  heads off to know that things can get ugly very quickly. #3. It takes too long. I don’t know about your kiddos, but mine require a lot of physical activity. They both needs lots of running around/crawling around time. Restaurants are generally too slow for us.

We opted for a quick option and went to Five Guys for dinner = Delish. Then, carried onward to one of the greatest marketing schemes I’ve ever witnessed: Build a Bear.

Bitzy was smitten from the first moment, what with the big solider bears out front. She’s a sucker for Teddy Bears and soliders. The combo pack was almost too much to handle.

When we explained that she could pick out any animal she wanted she immediately went for the kitty, as she dismissed my plea for the 50% bunny rabbits. Go figure.

So she got the kitty and we took her to get her stuffing and her little kitty heart put in. Of course it was a mere $5 for the kitty noise and ONLY another $4 for the thumpety heart beat.  Since we had already been sucked into the magical world of Build a Bear, why not?

As the nice lady put the heart into the kitty she said, “Okay Bitzy, what is your Kitty’s name?” Without skipping a beat Bitzy said, “TO-TO OF COURSE.”

Of course! Remember that this child has never seen The Wizard of Oz so I have no clue where the name To-To came from.

So, friends, we have a To-To.

But wait! To-To would not be complete without a very cute outfit now would she?

When we went “to the mall” as Bitzy said to pick out her clothes it was declared that “TO-TO NEEDS PINK. PINK IS HER FAVORITE COLOR EVER!”

Hence, what To-To wants, To-To gets.

Bitzy picked out a very cute pink ensemble of a pink shirt and matching pink skirt. I was actually impressed at how well the outfit matched. My girl has got style!

As we were checking out the genius saleslady said, “Now did you remember To-To’s panties?”

Bitzy says, “MAMA, TO-TO NEEDS HER PANITIES! WE MUST GET THEM SO SHE CAN GO POO POO PEE PEE IN DA POTTY!”

Of course she does.

There went another $3.50.

Although I will say that since Bitzy has been fairly resistant to potty training, I was willing to pay $3.50 for a pair of kitty panities if it would encourage Bitzy to give up her diapers.

I’m happy to say that when we got home Bitzy “taught” To-To how to go on the potty, but since I’m getting a firm “NO FANKS,” in regards to going again. Ha!

The best part? My Bitzy was beaming the entire time. She was so thrilled with this little kitty. And really, she has barely let go of her since.

Money well spent friends, money well spent.

It’s about that time again.

Ya know? The time when I start hollering at everyone to save money.

To take the time to save, save, save. 

(Have you missed my other Save little stories? If so, check them out here).

I’ve become the crazy person at “The Wal-Mart” peeking into other shoppers carts and telling them the price matches for their items. Yup, you heard me. I’ve mostly been thanked, but I’ve also gotten some very, um…how you say? Unthankful peeps as well. Go figure.

Anyway, it appears that not everyone is as pumped to save money as I am. Which is CRAZY to me.

The other day someone said that couponing “just isn’t for me.”

What does that even mean? Saving money doesn’t interest you? I am dumbfounded by this. Doesn’t everyone need more flexibility in their budget?

I understand that everyone is busy. In fact, I understand the feeling of being totally overwhelmed with life in general.

And I also understand the feeling of being completely consumed with worry about money.

Is that you? Are you laying awake at night wondering how you’re going to pay for this or that? Worrying about the future for you and/or your children?

Not too long ago it was me.

Being a stay at home Mama is absolutely my dream come true and I wouldn’t trade it for a million trips to Disney World, but in all honesty, it’s hard on the wallet. Losing an entire salary is tough. But as I have found in my own life, it is entirely possible to spend less and stretch out a dollar longer than you ever thought possible.

Some of the ways that we’ve saved significant amounts of money over the past year probably seem like no-brainers to you, but to me? They were new and very challenging, but have paid off big time!

Here are some of the ways we’ve adjusted and learned to save more and live on less!

1. Always, always, always turn the lights off when you leave a room.

2. Always, always, always shut the door when you leave a room.

3. Get your HVAC system serviced twice a year to help with efficiency. In the long term this will significantly lower your heating/cooling bills over the course of the year.

4. If you have tiny babies, try as best as you can to breastfeed. Not buying formula is a major money saver. (Plus a zillion other amazing benefits).

5. Price Match. This to me, is a no-brainer. If you have a WalMart near you this will save you hundreds of dollars a month. Get you sales papers and price match. It’s easy peasy. Also, if you have an Aldi near you they have incredible prices on produce. You can price match at “The Wal-Mart” and save big.

6. Coupon. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it’s a lot of work. Yes, it’s totally worth it.

7. Stockpile. I have a stockpile of everything from frozen vegetables and meat to toothpaste and dishwashing tablets. It’s very freeing to not have to run to the store everyday because we’re out of an essential. If you watch the sales and coupons you can find incredible deals and stockpile those items to use at a later date. It’s also a wonderful resource that allows us to be generous to others. It’s amazing to walk into our basement and make a care package for someone that would retail for $100 and know that it cost us a fraction of that cost.

8. Planning. I only go to the store once a week. Period. This includes CVS, Walgreens, Target etc. I only go to one store: “The Wal-Mart,” once a week for our groceries. When I go, I make a very detailed list and stick to it. This means that I have no impulse purchases. I go in with a budget and I do not go over it. Before I began my saving money adventures I would spend nearly $100 a week on random trips to Target or Walgreens. Inevitably, I would buy items that we didn’t need. And I wondered why we always seemed to be broke!

9. Online Shopping. This is my weakness friends. I love Amazon.com with a love that will never die. So this has truly been a struggle for me. I REALLY have to limit myself to only (and I mean only) buying what we need. I spend time researching prices and never, ever impulse buy. Again, this is an ongoing struggle for me, but it’s paying off. If you use a click through service like Shop At Home you can get money back from your purchase. It’s normally anywhere between 2% and 20%. I normally get a check for around $30 per month just from clicking through their site. If you shop online a lot it’s a really great incentive. I also use retailmenot.com often for coupon codes. This is especially great for free shipping deals. I have gotten AMAZING deals online and rarely pay shipping for anything.

10. Gas. This one is hard to swallow. Since gas has jumped to $4.00 a gallon we really limit where we go. And really? It’s been great. There is no reason for me to cart 2 babies around the city 7 days a week and spending hundreds of dollars on gas. I understand that if you’re working and/or have kids to chaffour you may not have a lot of control over this, but I do (and many of you do too). I have found that simply being concious of where we’re going has made a huge difference.

11. Do your own hair. I know this one is a toughie. Here’s an example to hopefully inspire you. I paid $100 every 6 weeks (ish) for a cut and highlights. That comes out to $867 a year on my hair. Insanity people. Now, I price match and coupon a good ole box of color. It’s normally $9.99 a box, price matched to $6.99 and with a coupon, it comes out to be $3.50. That means I’m spending $30.34 on dying my hair per year. Granted, I’ve only gotten one haircut this year and really need one…but you get the picture. Paying for color is absolutely crazy.

12. Never, ever pay full price for clothes. Ever. I have never been a yard sale/Goodwill shopper. I just do not seem to have much luck as some of you do. Instead, I have found that scouring the clearance racks and coupling with coupons can save a ton (and can often be as inexpensive as Goodwill)! A great example of this is my Mama. Recently at JCPenny she found snowsuits, both jackets and pants for $2!!! They were very cute, seemingly well made and only $2 per set. Now, for the next several years my babies have great snowsuits! My family is a great example that you can wear cute clothes and get them for very little money. (Sidenote: it is VERY rare to get these kind of deals online. It’s almost always better to get the lightening clearance deals in the store).

13. Accept hand-me-downs. It’s kind of a game with Bitzy. Some mornings when I put on her clothes and tell how how gorgeous she looks she’ll say, “WHO GAVE DIS TO ME MAMA?” because she knows how many of her clothes were either handed down from family members or bought for her by someone. This, to me is completely precious. She’s learning all about not only being generous but accepting the generosity of others.

14. Do not eat out. I know that’s very strong. But if money is tight, eating out is the #1 way to throw your money away. Let me give you an example. This week at the store I’m going to get 13 cans of chicken “nuggie” soup for my Bitzy. It’s one of the few foods that has meat that she’ll actually eat. I’m going to price match it at $.69 per can. Coupled with coupons I’m going to pay $5.97 for 13 cans. So basically for 2 solid weeks I can feed her lunch for $6. If we go through the drive thru at “The Nuggie House,” her happy meal will cost around $4. Do you see how insane eating out is? I’m not saying that we don’t do it, because we do. It pains me greatly, but we do occasionally. But the beauty is that when we do it’s an event. It’s not commonplace for us to go through the drive thru or eat at a restaurant, so when we do it makes it much more special. Zach and I used to spend hundreds of dollars a month on eating out. Now, we spend about $30 total per month on restaurants (and I still think that’s too much! Ha!).

15. Finally, some of the best advice I have ever been given is that not buying an item is the best way to save money. I find myself getting wrapped in sales and great deals and often overlook if we really need the item. The best way to save money is not to spend it in the first place!

So there you go friends! There’s a small list to help save money!!! These are very small and doable steps to help YOU spend less and save more!

And it wouldn’t be right for me to sign off before showing you a recent shopping trip now would it?!

Here are a few items that I got!

21 Bags of No Yolk Noodles: Retail: $1.98 per bag. After Match: $.98 per bag. After Coupon: $.58 per bag.

Dora Easter DVD (from the Easter Bunny): Retail: $9.97. After Match: $7.97. After Coupon: $4.97

Tyson Spilt Breast Chicken: Retail: $1.98lb. After Match: $.98lb.

Fugi Apples: Retail: $2.47lb. After Match: $.98lb.

Green Peppers: Retail: $.97 apiece. After Match: $.33 apiece.

Thomas English Muffins: Retail: $2.98. After Match: $1.49. After Coupon: $.99.

After all was said and done I saved 74% on this shopping trip. You can do this too!!!! If I can, so can you!

Now go save some money!!!!

I’m gonna get all Billy Mays on ya (may he rest in peace). Just imagine me talking in my most salesmaney, excited, youarenevergonnabelievethedealihaveforyou voice. Because friends of mine, the time is now.

It’s a brand spanking new year and it’s time to start saving some money.

While Zach and I are saving a ton of money these days with couponing, we are still not happy with our budget. We’re (actually, I am), spending way too much on random things that really should be accounted for. “But it’s on sale! It was almost free! We really need it! We might need it someday! I only paid $8 for a $60 item!!!” (that we have no use for- ahem).

One thing I’m learning with couponing is that even if it’s a great deal, it doesn’t necessarily mean we need it.

This whole couponing thing has really brought out my inner shopaholic.

So, starting today, we’re getting reacquainted with our old buddy, Dave Ramsey.

If you’re unfamiliar with him, he’s a famous radio host and a money managing genius.

He believes in a cash only system and discourages debt at all costs. His story is truly inspiring.

We have been on the program before and saved a ton of money while paying off quite a bit of debt. Now, our only debts are student loans and our house payment.

While I’m thrilled to have no credit card debt, having a house/student loan payment are still costing us a fortune. So, Mr. Dave Ramsey himself is gonna help us.

Financial freedom, here we come!

The bad news? Since I’m a stay at home mama now (praise Jesus), and Zach is a hard working sole provider, we just do not have a ton of  ”wiggle” room in our budget. That is going to make achieving financial freedom all the more challenging.

But guess what? I know that we can do it! And I know that you can too!

Here are some ways that we are cutting back and easily reliving some tension off of our tight budget.

Couponing- I recommend price matching coupled with couponing to get the maximum effect. I have written 3 previous blogs about price matching and couponing. Read them Here, Here and Here.

Shop At Home- This is what I call a “click through” site. Let’s say that you are going to buy something on Target.com. Rather than going straight there you go to  Shopathome.com first. When you get there you type in “target” and it will give you a list of coupons/deals. Then you click on the target tab and it will activate a percentage off of your online order on Target. That’s right!  Just because you clicked through their site first, you save a percentage off your order. Right now, Target is offered 6% back. So basically, you are “earning” 6% back on your online order to Target just for going to Shopathome first. Amazing. I just got a check for $45 for basically doing nothing but clicking through. It’s like free money!

Swagbucks- Swagbucks is search engine basically. So rather than doing a google search you search through Swagbucks. When you do you “earn” swagbucks just for searching. So just for doing your normal everyday Internet searches you get paid! I’ve gotten several Amazon gift cards this way. Easy peasy!

Ebates- Ebates is exactly like Shopathome. I normally do a search on both to see who has the higher percentage back. I just got a check for $11 from Ebates. Again, free money!

Rebates- I’m a big fan of rebates. Sure, they are work, but you get a free product and often make money in the process. Take tonight’s haul below. See the box of Bissell Stomp and Go? It’s on the corner and it’s blue. It was $4.98 at The Wal-Mart. I used a $1 off coupon making it $3.98. I’ll fill out this form and get $4.98 back via a check in the next few weeks. It’s like delayed satisfaction. Last month I “made” $65 in rebate money. So not only do I get to try out a free product but I make money in the process.

In other news, here’s my haul from tonight. I want to show you beautiful people that it’s possible to coupon, save money and eat well. Check this out.

I know that this stuff isn’t organic…but it’s not Ramen Noodles either. This stuff to me, is normal, healthy(ish) food, mixed with some other amazing deals.

Here’s the list:

7 lbs. of Gala Apples

3lbs. Cuties

12 Weight Watcher Smart Ones

6 Boxes of Cheerios

4lbs. of Bananas

2 Green Peppers

4 Bottles of Suave Shampoo

1 Suave Deodorant

2 Reach Floss

2 Boxes of Visine

9lbs. of different varieties of Steak

2 500ml bottles of Listerine

2 Boxes of GE Lightbulbs

1 box of Bissell Stomp and Go (rebate form linked)

2 bottles of Purell Hand Sanitizer

7 cans of Chicken “Nuggie” Soup as Bitzy would say

6 packs of gum

2 Pictionary Card Games (For our gift closet)

1 Package of Dole Frozen Blueberries

6 Packages of Scotch Brite Antibacterial Wipes

The pre-tax retail for all of this was $189.76. Tonight after price matching and coupons it was $82.11. That’s a savings of 56.7%. I’m thrilled with this savings based on the produce and meat that I bought.

You can coupon and be healthy, it just takes some effort!!!

We can do this friends, I just know it!!!!

Here’s to saving money!

Love to all,

Disclaimer: If you click on the Shopathome link and you become a member I will receive a credit for $5. This, in no way, means that I’m telling you this information to receive compensation. Rather, I want you to earn more through this site as I have. It’s totally awesome and I want you to benefit from it too. Same goes for Swagbucks and Ebates. I get a referrel credit, but I totally believe it’s a quick and EASY way to earn money. I have not been paid a dime by Shopathome, Ebates or Swagbucks for this post. These words and opinions, are all my own.