Saving $$$$$

I am extremely frugal when I can be but not cheap at all. I love to go out to dinner and go to the movies and buy nice things. I like to be able to travel and experience a lot of things. I enjoy being able to do those things. I like to cut corners wherever I can so I can do those things. Here is aL.I.S.T. of some ways I save money to be able to have a fun life. ;-)

1. Couponing. It is really fun once you get into it. Now the way that I coupon is I get the Sunday paper and clip, I also buy the monthly all you magazine at Wal-Mart because it has a lot of coupons. I also buy the entertainment book every year. And I always use a coupon on buying that. This year I saved $10.00 with a coupon for the entertainment book.

Ways I use my coupons:

I only use coupons on items that are either on sale or buy one get one free. I also use more than one coupon if I can. Most stores will let you use 1 manufacturer's coupon and 1 store coupon. Example: if you are shopping at Weis you can go to a blinkie and print out the store coupons for instance, $2.00 off Scott tissue, then you use your $1.00 off Scott tissue manufacturer's coupon, plus buy it on sale. Example, this week I bought a 12 pack of Scott toilet tissue which is normally $9.69 for $6.39 which was the store SALE then I used the $2.00 off store coupon with the $1.00 off manufacturer's coupon so I ended up getting 12 rolls of 1,000 sheet toilet paper for $3.39. Saving over $6.00

This might be hard at first if you don't have a good stock of groceries to start. But once you build that up you can buy only what's on sale and cook and plan your meals based on that.

SassyMcSassplaster sits in my binder. ;-)

If you don't have one of these^ in your area, I feel bad for you. I love them!!!!

Can you imagine it? I write out my GAME PLAN for groceries in LIST form!!! With my own algebraic figuration!!!

Did you know that you can use more than one coupon at BB&B? And not only that but they never expire. ;-) And they can be sale items.

A view of my chaotic desk!!!!

2. My Coke Rewards I save bottle caps from my cokes, and the ends to canned soda boxes to add up points in this website. My mom and my best friend both drink cokes and save the caps for me. Which is really just them giving me money because it ends up in my pocket later. I just received a new photo printer from my coke caps. I paid nothing for it just by saving caps of something I always drink. When I don't have a lot of points like now after I've used it on the printer I will get free magazine subscriptions, free movies, free movie tickets, etc.

3. The Library. Any homeschool mom knows this is vital to homeschooling. I make a weekly trip to the library (usually when my movies are due back). Sassy will spend hours there picking out books and movies and educational tools she wants to use. All that is great and dandy but I use it for movie rentals. I NEVER pay money to rent a movie. Especially at $4-$5 a pop nowadays. I know about the Redbox, I know they are only $1.00 but I can never seem to get back to get the movie in time so that really doesn't work for me because I end up spending more. By renting from the library I am able to see almost all new releases for free and when the time is coming closer to return and I haven't watched my movies yet I always extend the rental time by 4 days to finish. You can do that once for each. :) At my library there is a huge movie selection and I hardly ever need to rent from Blockbuster but if so, I always have the points from #2 to use.

4. Amish Grocery. I also shop at the Amish grocery stores whenever I can get up there. I usually spend between $100-$150 for two carts full of groceries. That usually lasts me 2 months. (with only Sassy and I). It's also better food for us whereas all of their produce, meats and dairy are 100% organic. As I stated before I also use whatever is in my pantry, fridge and freezer to come up with and create meals. I hate having recipes that I have to run out for one thing. I usually come up with concoctions on my own but if I am lacking in ideas I visit Allrecipes. Here you can type in the ingredients you have and they come up with the meals for you.

5. Eating out with Coupons. I know it's tacky and I probably wouldn't use it if I were dating or anything but I won't eat out unless I have a coupon which coincides with the Entertainment book I get each year. It really saves.

6. Use store-cards. I always use the cards given by grocery stores, drug stores, best buy, movies, etc. I just have a little card holder in my purse that holds all of them and anytime I am in a store I use it. It's so easy. I recently got a free movie ticket ($10 value) for using my card when I go to the movies.

7. Buy your own! (Snacks that is) When I go to the movies I either pack snacks from home or stop by the local Wawa and get a snack and a soda. There is no way I'm spending $19.95 for some stinkin' snacks. :| Now that doesn't mean if I have a free popcorn or free soda from my points rewards you know from using #6 that I won't get it. But that's the only time these chickens see movie popcorn.

I have more I just can't think of any. How do you cut corners to save money??? Give me some ideas!!!! Have a blessed weekend friends.