I am going to share an email with you that I got recently but keep this in mind.  If we, as women, can think so quickly and specifically to get what we want, why can’t we do the same thing so easily with saving money?  Saving money is simple.  Take it one step at a time.  Tune in tomorrow and I will explain in greater detail my latest money saving technique that saves me at least $20 a month to put towards Christmas. Read more

Last week it was time to renew my license plate.  Once again, I got upset because it was going to cost me nearly $60 to renew my personalized tag. 

Each year, I go through this whole ordeal of how expensive it is, should I get one, if it’s worth the money, and all that stuff.  Then I pay the fee and don’t really think much about it until the next bills comes.  The cycle starts again.  lol

Last year, I was going to get rid of the tag.  I was convinced that it wasn’t worth the money, but then someone told me that I’d have to pay an additional fee to switch plates. Errrr!  I kept my tag another year.

This year, I took my renewal form to DMV and asked if I would be charged to switch to a non-personalized tag and the lady told me “no”.  Fabulous!  I quickly told her I would like to cancel the personalized tag.  This saved me $30!  Yay!  My husband still said the tag was worth the $30.  lol

I was sitting here this morning trying to think of how we got so in to our tags.  Now I remember that it started when we lived in Virginia.  Personalized tags were fairly inexpensive there.  When we moved to NC, we just kept the personalized thing going.

Funny how we don’t think about certain expenses and keep going along with them because we always have.

I’d like to give you all a frugal challenge for this week.  Think of something that you can eliminate that costs you money.  It’s probably something that you don’t even think about.  This can be caller id, call waiting, extra cell phone minutes, or something like that.  Let me know how you do.

pic from morgue file

I am enjoying the frugal challenge Sautrdays.  Your challenge today if you choose to accept it is to find a new way to get out of debt.  Jay over at Dumb Little Man has some great tips on how to get out of debt.  My favorite ones are:

• Create rewards - We have a bill we are trying to pay off.  Our reward is to look at minivans when that bill is paid off.  Until then, we won’t let ourselves look too hard.
• Stop using credit cards - This is a big one.  I don’t even have one.  MY DH is the only one that uses it.  When I have to purchase airline tickets, I have to call for the #’s.
• Pay cash - This is my favorite!  My grandparents did it and our goal is to get there.
• Debt snowball - This is excellent.  Pay off the smallest bill first.  This gives you confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel and then take that payment and put it towards the next smallest bill.  You will feel great each time you cross off a debt on your list.
• Use a 30-day list - This is an excellent idea for you impulse buyers.
• Stop shopping -  Brick and morter or online, this is the hardest one for me next to …
• Eat at home - My weakest link in debt reduction.
• Bargains and used stuff - I already love this practice.

So here are some more tips to use when trying to pay off debt.

1. Swap stuff - I loan my baby stuff out and borrow from other friends.  Our kids are not always at the same stage so don’t buy what you can borrow or swap.
2. Stash the cash - If you can stop yourself from spending money on something, take that cash and stash it.  You would be surprised how fast it adds up.  Take that money at the end of the month and pay extra on your smallest bill.
3. Ask your grandparents how to save - They lived through the great depression and know how to save money.  Use their wisdom.
4. Eat cheap - When you are asked to go out to eat, make sure you say yes to treat yourself but ask to go someplace cheap.  That will encourage others to eat cheaper as well.
5. Find the places your kids eat for free - Do some research and find the places your kids can eat for free each day.  That will save a lot of money!
6. Direct deposit your savings - You don’t have to put alot away.  $5-20 per paycheck adds up without pain in your wallet or mind.
7. Sock away surprise money - Stop spending that tax refund, holiday money, or surprise refund from the utility company.  Put it into your emergency fund or towards a bill.  You weren’t expecting it anyway so make it work for you.
8. Rework your taxes - Every debt elimination list or seminar I have been to tells you to stop getting a big tax refund at the end of the year.  Use your money when you need it and get your refund down to around $100 a year.  That way you don’t pay at the end of the year but you get more money each check.
9. Ever play with your money - Take a month and look at every 1 or 5 dollar bill.  Pick a random 2 digit number and if that bill has that combo, save that money and don’t spend it.  See how much you save at the end of the month and put it towards the bill you are trying to eliminate.
10. Save those coins - They add up.  Take that money and use it to treat yourself for all the hard work you are doing to eliminate debt.
11. Haggle like it’s going out of style - Don’t be afraid to walk away from a good deal if you honestly believe that it should be better.
12. Toss the catalogs - They are only a temptation.  Don’t put yourself in the position to say no.
13. Dismiss the fees - Don’t pay the $1.50 fee at the ATM.  Either get cash at the grocery store when you check out or stop by your bank.
14. Live without your raise - Take your raise and put it towards a bill.
15. Don’t pay full price - Shop at ebay or amazon for used stuff that is in good condition.  No sense in paying full price when you don’t have to.
16. Shop consignment - Find the good consignment stores in town and enjoy them.  Don’t pay full price at the mall.
17. Sell your stuff - If you have things that are worth selling and you can do without, sell it.  Have a yard sale or take it to the consignment shops.  $5 is $5.
18. Change your own oil - This can save you bunches of money each year.
19. Avoid the Dry Cleaners -There are great products out there for your delicates that will help you avoid the dry cleaners.
20. Go to the Library - Get your books and videos at the library.  It’s much cheaper as long as you return them online.
21. Get those credit card rates down - I know Jay had this one but negotiate to drop those rates.
22. Get a home equity line - If this works for you, get a home equity line and consolidate your bills into one bill and deduct it on your taxes.
23. Do your own maintenance - If you can, do all your home maintenance yourself.  Mow the yard for exercise.  Paint that room yourself.  We saved over $1000 just by painting our bedrooms ourselves.
24. Clip coupons - I love The Coupon Clippers myself.  It saves time and money since I don’t normally get the paper.
25. Wash in cold water - This is even better now that there are laundry detergents specific for cold water.
26. Use online bill pay to your advantage - Save on stamps, envelopes, and time.
27. Run all your errands in one day of you can -  This saves on gas.
28. Turn off the lights and fans - Your electric bill will thank you for it.
29. Have a picnic - This is a great family day out that doesn’t cost much.
30. Reuse bags -Rinse out ziplock bags and save those plastic bags for dirty diapers.

So there you have it - another list to help you save your hard earned money.  Then again, it’s just my opinion.  You can take it or leave it.  But you WILL save money with it.

There seems to be a great debate on whether you should give your stuff to the local consignment sale to sell or have a yard sale. I thought I would try out the local consignment shop that I love to go to to see how it compared. I gave them a sling that didn’t fit me to sell. I got $5 for it and they had it on the rack for $15. I got more than what I thought I would get for it but still, they are making a killing on it. So here are the pros and cons to both sides of the debate and you can figure out which works better for you. Read more

I told you this morning about a coupon I got for Children’s place.  I got the coupon from a forum off the mommysavers site.  It is a great site to get updates and coupons and talk to other mommies.  Thanks to Al Gore and his invention, the Internet <wink … wink>, we can take advantage of all the savings that everyone else finds and use them as well.  Angie over at baby cheapskate is another great source for good sales.  The lady is a saving machine and I admire her tremendously when it comes to finding coupon codes and great deals.  We should always strive for savings perfection.

So your frugal challenge for Saturday is to take advantage of the Internet and find a few good forums to participate in.  You will find it very rewarding and there will be more money in your pocket to enjoy.

Over the past 2 weeks, I have told you about 2 thrifty challenges I have overcome.  The first one was that I took out the coupons of the boxes of Kaboom that I bought before I bought them so that I could use the coupons inside.  It was the last day and I was going to use the coupons anyway.  The second one was that I drove all around town, enlisted the help of my friends (they already knew I was cheap and crazy), and saved a ton of money on the paint I wanted to use.   You could only buy 1 item at a time, with one coupon, on one day, at one store.  So I had to do some finagling.  This allowed me to save around $300. 

The Challenge for you today is to be crafty with your money.  I could have just said that I had to wait until I bought the Kaboom systems and then go back through the line but that would have wasted my time.  Have you seen the lines at Wal-Mart lately?  And I could have just dragged my DH to one store in 2 days and gotten a gallon of paint for each of us but I chose to enlist the help of friends.  I would do it for them and they chose to do it for me.  Thank you, by the way! 

So don’t be embarrassed to save money.  Cut coupons, take advantage of sales, and offer to help your friends when something crazy like a very restrictive sale goes on so that they can help you.  We have to come together in times of money savings.  If we aren’t protective of our hard earned money, I can promise you someone else will get it and be VERY protective of it.

My dad has a beautiful plant on his back yard. He keeps promising me that no one can kill it. We will see about that. I will let you know how mine survives the wilderness in a few months. But I digress. I want to plant it along the outskirts of my yard as a boundary of sorts. The plant is called a wandering Jew plant and is absolutely beautiful. I hope it works well and doesn’t get eaten by the wildlife around my house.

Your frugal challenge for Saturday is to be patient with your plants. I intend to buy 2 small plants from my local nursery and then let them grow this year in the pots. Next year I will divide them up and plant them outside. I am hoping that by then, I will have several shoots to plant and won’t need to spend a lot of money to cover my flower garden. Perennials are a great way to save money if you can have patience. Buy the smaller plant this year and divide them up next year. That way you have 2 plants for the price of one and an equally satisfying garden to enjoy. Although, if I could divide and save money, I would enjoy my garden much more! Also make sure you get plants that are very hearty for your area. That way they will grow well with little effort. My personal favorite is celosia. It will grow great and with little effort. They come in all kinds of colors and are beautiful. They are an annual but I haven’t had to replant them as they came back 3 years in a row for me. Go figure.

So enjoy your garden this summer and remember, patience literally pays off if you buy small and then divide and replant next year.

I know that without a shadow of a doubt, if my DH goes to the grocery store any way but on a full stomach, he spends way more than needed.  So the Frugal Challenge for Saturday is to plan your shopping trips.  Here are some tips to save money while shoppingl.

• Never go to the grocery store hungry.
• Plan a list and stick to it.
• Keep your eyes above eye level.  The impulsive buying items are strategically placed at eye level.  And don’t be fooled.  That is not just for the check out isle either.
• Look down to the lowest level in the grocery isle.  That is usually where they place the generic or store brand foods.  Thatusually saves you around 20%.
• Spend the money and get a Sunday paper.  The coupons alone will save you enough to justify the expenditure.

So there you have it.  Grocery shopping is the number 1 frugal challenge in our household.  I do great with clothing and household items but the grocery bill (Wal-Mart) kills me!

My goal when buying my kids their clothes is to not spend more than $3.50 on any given summer outfit.  I have splurged a little this year and have averaged $4/outfit just because I haven’t had much to choose from this year.  My challenge to you is to do your homework and keep under a certain budget for clothes.  Utilize yard sales and consignment shops as much as possible.  The other single greatest blessing I have found is hand-me-downs.  Parents, this does not count towards your average so don’t get excited.  The challenge is to pick a price that you want to stick with and don’t go over it.  Force yourself to stay within your budget and enjoy the time when your kids aren’t yet into name brands and fashion statements.  My goal is to get my kids into liking a financial challenge.  Godd shopping everyone.

I am loving the frugal Saturday challenge.  Are you?  I got an email from the Flyladies this week about doing a 27 fling boogie.  These have become very liberating to me.  A 27 fling boogie is a periodic surprise email that tells you to go throughout your home or a specific room and throw away 27 pieces of junk that you have accumulated.  This keeps your house form getting cluttered.  It is a great way to keep that junk mail from piling up because each piece counts towards the 27 fling boogie.  Well this week we got an email for a 27 fling boogie to throw away AND a 27 fling boogie to get rid of stuff to donate that keeps getting put off.  This never takes more than 5 minutes and what a difference it makes when I actually do it.  I did both today.  I lucked out because I had a bag of stuff sitting in the new nursery that needed to the Goodwill so I just tossed the bag in the trunk of my car.  But it counted because there were more than 27 things in the bag.  This week was easy.  My 27 fling boogie for trash was sadly accomplished by just cleaning off the kitchen cabinet from all the mail from the week that needed to be done.

So your frugal challenge for Saturday is a different kind of frugal.  This time we are being frugal with our time.  Take less than 5 minutes and go around your home and do a 27 fling boogie of trash.  Take a trash bag and get 27 things that need to be thrown out of the house.  Don’t say you don’t have 27 things to toss.  What have you done with your junk mail?  Aren’t there a couple of toys that you have been meaning to get rid of without your kids looking (McDonalds toys don’t need to take up space in the closet)?  What about that overly loved piece of underwear or forever ago t-shirt that has holes in it?  You know the ones.  Come on ladies.  Just jump in and do the boogie! 

Then when you are done, take another 5 minutes and go through the closets and find 27 things that you can donate to the Good Will or Salvation Army?  I have old t-shirts that I just don’t want to get rid of that become casualties of the 27 fling boogie and I finally can feel good about doing it.  Usually I feel overwhelmed and think it has to take forever to accomplish decluttering.  It doesn’t.  It just takes a little boogie time.

So go ahead and boogie again.  If you are like me, this is the only kind of boogie that won’t throw your back out, or in my case, the baby out J