A Homemade Halloween: Family Circus Train Costume!

Every year our church has a Fall Festival, which is basically just a fun get-together with costumes, games, food, and a Trunk-or-Treat at the end in the parking lot. Usually for Halloween we let the kids choose their own costumes, but we like to do a family costume for the annual Fall Festival.

My son loves trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine, and he thought it would be really fun for us to be a train. I liked the idea, but I thought it would be more interesting to take it a step further and have us wearing costumes *in* the train cars! I'm not sure how I came up with the idea of a circus train, but as you can see above, that's what we ended up with!

My husband brought home some boxes from work and we had a great time making a big painting mess in the kitchen one night. My son was our engine, my husband was the clown (my son decorated his train car with him), my daughter Starlet was the Amazing Acrobat, Little Boo was the Monkey (she wanted to be a monkey for Halloween anyway), and I was, of course, the Ringleader. I always think it's fun to have us in costumes that are kind of fitting to our roles anyway. ;-)

For my costume I just used stuff we already had- my black boots, my running leggings, a white button-up blouse, a red velvet blazer, and a hat from an old Zorro costume we used once that I just made taller and fancier with black and red paper. Oh, and some white gloves we happened to have (I wanted my hubby to wear them but he wasn't interested. Oh, well).

For Starlet I picked up a gymnastics leotard and black tights from Target. It was a little bit of a splurge, but she may be taking gymnastics again soon, so I figure she might get some use out of it. My husband got his clown hair and nose/glasses from Wal-Mart, and I picked up Little Boo's costume from Old Navy- 50% off sale, so I got it for $12! And lastly, Monkey had his Thomas costume from many years ago when he was Thomas for Halloween.

Here are some photos of our family costume 2 years ago (just after Little Boo was born):

Our teams don't exactly match (Starlet is a Virginia Tech cheerleader!) but it had the overall effect we were looking for. And I loved that I was the referee. How fitting, right?

Can you see how I put Little Boo's hair up in tiny little pigtails? How cute is that!

This Halloween, be creative! If you have little ones who aren't TOO opinionated yet, then a family costume is a really fun way to go. Or, you could do like we did and do a family costume for a special function and then let the kids wear their own costumes for Halloween night.

I'm getting more creative later this week with Monkey's costume...stay tuned to see how it turns out!

Have you ever done a family costume before? Leave a comment and tell me about it! We need ideas for next year!! :-)

Goodwill Gold

I have a dear sweet friend at church who is very fashionable and whenever she sees me, she says, "You always look SO cute, Kasey! Where did you get that??" And she always gets so exasperated because my answer, about 90% of the time, is "Goodwill outlet!"

Let me confess something to you: I used to be a shopping snob. I didn't do Goodwill- whenever I thought of shopping at Goodwill I thought of oversized stained t-shirts, women's suits from the 80's (complete with shoulder pads) and polyester. LOTS of polyester. To be honest, the thought of thrift store shopping repelled me.

Then we started having kids, and we were on a budget. We started checking out Goodwill just for random things we needed that we considered okay to buy used. Then I saw that they had some pretty cute kids clothes, and kids grow out of their clothes practically faster than you can buy them, so I relented. And then an occasion would come up where I would need something specific in a hurry that wasn't in our budget (like a black skirt or something) and so I would go there to see if I could find something just for this one time. Then I found myself putting lots of things in my cart to try on...and I became hooked.

So if any of you out there might feel a little wary of thrift store shopping like I did, I am here to dispel the myth of the Polyester Palace! Here are a few of my favorite Goodwill Outlet finds and some tips for making the most of your own thrift store shopping.

Fashion Show!!

I LOVE the cut of this satin top. So slimming! Incidentally, the skirt I'm wearing is also from the Goodwill outlet- knee-length black satin with wide pleats. I paired this with opaque black tights and a cute pair of satin Steve Madden pumps- also from Goodwill. ;-)

Super soft teal drape-front sweater (Banana Republic) and the perfect pair of black pants (okay, they may be polyester, but they have a great modern style!).

These. boots. are. AWESOME. Are they not? And really, for $2, how can you go wrong??

Love this sheer black drapey top with dolman sleeves. It has just the right amount of sparkle around the neckline to make it perfect for a night out.

Tips on thrift store clothing shopping:

1. Don't go with expectations. It's okay to be hoping to find something, but it's always best to go with an open mind so that the deals find you.

2. Go often. Stock changes constantly, so rather than doing one blowout trip, break it up and go frequently in order to spend less on items you really love.

3. Know your size and what shapes work best on you (not all places have dressing rooms) Shape and fit are FAR more important to me than color and/or pattern. The idea is for the garment to make YOU look good and for people to notice you, not what you're wearing. Also keep in mind that these clothes may have shrunk or stretched from their original size, so try to train your eye to be able to recognize your size.

4. Be familiar with brands. Name brands = quality and style. Once when checking out at a Goodwill store the cashier looked at the clothes I had picked out, including the Steve Madden shoes, a cashmere sweater and a DKNY shirt, and said, "Oh, girl- you knew what you were looking for!" Yes. Yes I did. :-)

5. When in doubt, check it out. You might not always be able to tell what something is at first glance (see last photo!)- things aren't styled like they are in retail stores, so pull it out away from the other clothes to see it alone and get a better perspective. That peach blouse might actually look pretty great once you get it away from that olive green sweater!

6. Don't get too excited over the price and buy things you won't use. You know what I'm talking about. You've done it. Admit it.

7. Look for staple items- they're always there! Basic black skirts & pants, basic button-up blouses, jeans, etc.

8. Evaluate wear & tear vs cost. If an item is damaged, can you- and WILL you- take the time and/or money to repair it? Be honest with yourself!

9. Step outside your box. Thrift shopping is a great opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new without risking too much cash! Try going bohemian or punk. What have you got to lose?

10. Saving $$ on clothes means you can spend extra on accessorizing! Even a very basic thrift store find can look fabulous when paired with the right accessories. Get some pretty new earrings to bring out the color in your new shirt.

Are you a thrift store fashionista? What was your best find??

The Splurge

Have you ever splurged on something and then thoroughly regretted it?

Have you ever splurged on something and then felt not one ounce of remorse?

Have you ever not splurged on something and then regretted it?

These are all common feelings surrounding a splurge (or lack thereof) and they all went through my head as potential outcomes last Saturday night.

The Setting: Girls Night Out with one of my best friends at a high-end shopping mall.

The Store: An adorable little boutique called, appropriately, "Two Friends." Think purses, jewelry, accessories, picture frames, and home decor. As girly as can be.

The Item: A pink/purple pashmina scarf/wrap. 70% genuine pashmina wool, 30% silk. So soft and silky you wouldn't believe it. A delicate, barely-there floral damask pattern woven into it, a slight sheen that allows you to see the faint outline of blossoms. Pretty much the prettiest thing ever made.

So here's the story. My friend and I have been walking around all night, going into stores and perusing the racks of sweaters and blouses that cost about 98% more than I usually spend (I'm a Goodwill outlet shopper, people). We've been fingering their fine fabrics and admiring their detailed workmanship and gasping at the outrageous price tags for over an hour now.

I have reached the point in my life where I'm not miserable doing this: I can accept the fact that my hard-earned money is better spent elsewhere. However, the diva inside me sure does appreciate fine things. And her little voice, every once in awhile, is whispering, Ohh, that would look good on you, and Oooh, this fabric is so soft. But I'm not buying. I'm just looking.

I had already decided that if I found something inexpensive, possibly useful and really nice (clearance racks, anyone?) then maybe- maybe- I could spend just a little. Less than $10 for sure.

So that was my state of mind when my friend and I entered the store. We walk around, appreciatively picking up and putting down various items, making our circuit around the store's perimeter. We're just approaching the opposite side of the front of the store where we had started when I see it: the Scarf. It had been carelessly tossed onto a display table next to its counterparts, all of which paled in comparison. I touch it and discover that yes, it really is as soft as it looks. I hold it draped over one hand and run my fingers down its length, as little cartoon hearts start shooting out of my eyes. The only tag on it reads, "Pashmina, 70% pashmina, 30% wool". No price tag. I sigh, fairly certain it is far out of my price range, and place it back onto the table, puddling it gracefully so that its beauty can be fully appreciated by other shoppers.

I move on to look at other items in the store, but my eyes keep returning to that amazing, lovely scarf. I am walking toward it one last time to bid it farewell when the saleslady calls from across the store, "The pashmina scarves are $22.95."

$22.95????

I have $22.95. Well, not in cash in my pocket, but in my bank account. And it's just at that threshold where it will still be at the eye-roll-and-sigh from-my-husband and not the angry-YOU-SPENT-HOW-MUCH?? from my husband. This I can live with. My mind starts racing, desperate for a good excuse for why I must buy this scarf.

Do I need a scarf? No. I have at least five scarves at home that work perfectly well.

Maybe I could give it as a gift. That idea gets thrown out quickly. I know that once it's in my hands I could never part with it.

Did I do something to earn this scarf? Well...my etsy shop is doing pretty good. After money spent on crafting materials I'd still have to sell a few more items to pay for this, though...

Is it a killer good deal? Well, it's not a bad deal, but killer good? Probably not. I could buy 5 shirts on clearance for what this scarf costs.

My brain goes through every possible scenario, leaving me with only one excuse. And it's not a good one. I just want it. Really bad. Because it's so pretty.

I know what I have to do. It feels strange, unnatural, so not me, and so good.

I buy it. Just because. I have no good reason, other than that I am in love with this scarf and I believe it loves me back. (Okay, I know scarves are inanimate objects and have no capacity for emotion, but this one is special. Really, really special. Trust me.)

As I carry it triumphantly to the register and hand over my card, my hand is shaking a little. I chat with my friend and the cashier about how much I love the scarf and they both agree that we were meant for each other. It makes my high even higher. The cashier carefully wraps my new purpley-pink pashmina prize in a lime green tissue paper and carefully places it into a bright purple bag (it all clashes terribly with my scarf, but I don't care). As I leave the store, my mind is already racing as I try to think of when I will be able to wear it for the first time.

My lovely scarf is now home with me. I took it home that night, showed it to my husband (promptly met with aforementioned eye-roll-and-sigh) and wrapped it around me as we sat on the couch watching tv. Then I took it upstairs and hung it on a hanger in my closet. It still hasn't been quite cold enough to wear it yet, but each morning when I get dressed I finger it lovingly and it just somehow makes me feel special.

So for me, this was a splurge that was definitely NOT a regret. Because sometimes a girl needs to stop pinching her pennies and for once let them make her feel beautiful and special (and purpley pink and soft and silky too).

THE END!

Emergency Preparedness on a Budget

With all of the natural disasters flooding the news in the last weeks, I have been motivated to take inventory of our family's emergency preparedness. If you're on a tight budget, this can feel overwhelming, but just like saving money, you can reach your goals by taking small and simple steps.

As I began to go through my 72-hour kit, I realized that many of the items I had stocked were items I already on hand, and anyone could take a few moments to create a very basic emergency kit with items already in their homes.

• Extra clothing- If you don't keep much extra clothing, this is a great thing to get cheap at thrift stores. Ladies, if you're still growing your family, be sure to include pants with an expandable waistband. (Tip- store clothing in an extra pillowcase. This will keep it organized and can serve as a pillow in emergencies)
• Small towel and/or washcloth
• Basic toiletries- I actually keep a toiletry kit stocked with travel-sized versions of products I normally use, extra toothpaste and a toothbrush. Whenever I travel I just toss this in my suitcase, then I refill it when I come home and keep it near my emergency kit so that I can easily pack it if I have to evacuate.
• First Aid supplies- even just band-aids and some pain medication will work. At least it's something!
• Plastic bags
• Pen and paper
• Contact Info- List of family members' names, phone numbers, and photos, plus an agreed-upon emergency action plan (meeting locations, etc.).
• Tissues- just put a few in a plastic ziplock bag.
• Toilet paper- individually wrapped roll, if you have it
• Matches- put these in a plastic ziplock bag also
• Water- fill a water bottle with tap water and store it. If possible, store enough for 1 gallon per person per day, but even if you only have one bottle in an evacuation kit, that's still something!
• Food- granola bars, canned food, etc. While these are not necessarily ideal, they are still something!
• Baby Wipes- I just heard one of the guys on one of the professional emergency response crews on CNN saying that baby wipes are one thing they never leave home without.
• Flashlight- You might not have an extra, but you can get these at the dollar store and they're essential.
• Backpack or bag- You will need some kind of portable container to hold all of your emergency supplies. While a backpack is ideal, even a cardboard box or grocery bag(s) will do.
• Shoes- In case of a sudden evacuation, you might not have a chance to change shoes or even put on shoes. Find an old pair of sneakers or maybe a pair of hiking boots you don't wear often- just something sturdy and comfortable- and stuff a pair of socks in the toe and use the shoelaces to tie them to your emergency kit. If you need them in the meantime, you can still access them easily.
• Grab-and-Go List- If you are fortunate to have more than a moment's notice of an evacuation, you may have time to grab a few sentimental/useful items along with your emergency kit. Go around your house and make a list of items- photos, computer, kids' special lovies, journals, important documents, etc.- that you would want to take with you if evacuated. When possible, try to keep these items grouped together for easy packing. Decide now what kind of container you will use to pack them- maybe a container currently being used for winter clothes or a cardboard box- making these decisions now will save you panic and chaos later on!

These are just the basic basics. My purpose in this post is simply to show you that you don't have to run out and raid your local camping supply store in order to assemble a decent emergency kit. Remember- when an emergency strikes, some preparation is better than none at all.

When it comes to improving your long-term food and water storage, I believe that the best method is to just do it a little at a time. Wash out empty soda and juice bottles and fill them with tap water. Dedicate $1-$2 a week, if that's all you have, to increasing your food storage. That $1 can buy you a gallon of water and a can of vegetables. Continue to increase your supplies by just a little each week and you will see your storage grow!

I will say it again: When an emergency strikes, some preparation is better than none at all. I challenge you to DO SOMETHING TODAY to become better prepared!! You don't want to find yourself saying, "If only..."

Couponing: How I Do It

It has been awhile since I've posted about couponing, but I've had several friends who have expressed interest in the subject recently so I thought it might be helpful to just give you a brief tutorial on how I do it and how you can get started. I'll keep it simple and easy to follow so that you can feel confident enough to give it a try!

Here is my usual routine, with a few pointers for you if you're just getting started:

1. Get the newspaper! As abundant as online coupons are, your local newspaper is the most plentiful resource for grocery product coupons. So order your local newspaper and start stocking up. If you have friends who receive the newspaper, see if you can snag their coupons too, if they're not using them. The more you have, the better!

2. Organize your coupons. I used to clip every coupon, simply because it made it much faster to find what I needed. However, I just don't have the time or energy for that these days, so now I simply file coupons by their insert date, which is the date the coupons came out in the newspaper. I have a hanging file folder for each month. Some people do clip every coupon and organize them by product type, which is helpful if you're looking for product coupons as you're shopping in the store, but I am usually shopping with kids so I don't bring my entire coupon stash with me. So for me it's easier to sort by date and leave 'em at home.

3. Find the deals. I am a personal fan of www.couponmom.com. You need to register to use the site, but it's free. Each week I simply go to her website and click on "Grocery Deals by State." That takes me to a list, and since I usually get good deals at Kroger, I click on "VA- South/Central Kroger." I then get an itemized list of every sale item along with its coupon matchup (really, why do all that work when somebody else has already done it for you?).

I typically use the arrows at the top of the screen to sort the list by "% saved" (just click the down arrow at the end of the last column header), going from the highest percentage (usually FREE!) down to the lowest. That way, all the best deals are shown right there at the top of the list. I can then scan the list for the deals I want and use the check boxes on the left-hand side to select those deals. Once I'm done, I click "Display Selected Deals" and a list of only the deals I've selected will appear on my screen.

4. Match the coupons. This is the most time-consuming part! Once I have my list of "Selected Deals", they are automatically arranged in order by insert date ("Cpn. Out" column). That's pretty handy because that's how my coupons are organized! So I just go through my files and search the inserts for the relevant coupons. Once I find them, I clip them and place them into an envelope with the store's name on it. Then I can just print out my list straight from that screen, tuck it into the envelope with my coupons and I'm ready to go!

5. Go shopping! This part can be a bit overwhelming. I find it helpful to know the layout of my store and to try to arrange my list accordingly. I also will always grab the current week's sale flier when I first walk into the store, because sometimes it can be tricky to know what particular brands are a part of a particular sale, and the sale flier is usually pretty specific. Pay attention to any sale stipulations; for example, Kroger often has promotions that require you to purchase 10 participating items before receiving a discount. Don't forget to count!

If something you need is not on the shelf, be sure to check with a store employee to find out if they might have more in the back. If not, you can usually get a raincheck for the item- this is essential if it's a killer good deal! Don't be afraid to ask!

6. Pre-checkout check. I usually try to find a quiet corner of the store where I can arrange my coupons just before I check out. This gives me the opportunity to double-check and make sure I've gotten everything on my list and that I have the correct numbers of items (SO annoying when you go to check out and realize you can't use a coupon because it was $1 off 3 and you only got 2!!). I also put away any coupons I will not be using, either because I couldn't find an item, the deal wasn't for the item on the coupon, or I just chose not to purchase the item. These few minutes help the checkout process go much more smoothly.

7. Check-out. This is usually pretty straightforward when it comes to grocery store couponing- you just put the items up there, hand over your store card and the coupons and you're good to go! One thing you do need to watch for, however, is to be sure you receive any "catalinas" you may be owed. These are coupons that print out with your cash register receipt, and sometimes will be like store credit, saying, "$3 off your next purchase," or something like that. These typically come as part of a store promotion, so you will know about them ahead of time. They are money in your pocket, so if your list says you're supposed to get some, be sure you look for them at checkout, and if you don't receive them for any reason, don't be afraid to speak up!

8. Yay!! Now you celebrate because your cash register receipt says you saved $50! (or something like that) Take your goodies home and be happy you're so smart. ;-) As you're doing your happy dance, be sure to make a note of any catalinas you may have received (those free money things I mentioned that you get at checkout) and when they expire. Don't want to waste them!

I hope this post has demystified the couponing process for you, at least somewhat. Just like any skill, the best way to learn it and feel comfortable with it is to DO IT! The best way to begin learning couponing is to start small- choose 3-6 deals that you want to try to get with coupons, make your list, gather your coupons, and go shopping. Once you have a few small trips under your belt, you will feel more confident to try more complicated scenarios. Before you know it, you'll be slashing your grocery budget and planning an addition onto your house to hold your surplus!

Do you have any couponing questions or concerns? Just let me know! I'm happy to be of assistance!

CVS Savings

Along with trying to get back into blogging, I've also been trying to get back into couponing. I've been able to hit CVS the last couple of weeks, so I went in with $8 in Extra Bucks to spend. I did two transactions:

1. Azo Itch Relief- on sale $6.99, get $5 ECBs, used $2/1 printable

Colgate Total Advanced- on sale $2.99, get $2.99 ECBs, used $1/1 coupon from 10/3 SS

Dial 3-pack bar soap- on sale $1.99, get $1 ECB, used $0.35/1 coupon from 10/10 RP

Dawn Hand Renewal- on sale $0.97, used $0.50/1 coupon from 9/26 P&G

Brach's Candy Corn- on sale $0.99, used $0.99/1 coupon from CVS coupon-printing kiosk (woohoo!)

Total after coupons and ECBs = $1.41

2. 6 Renuzit Adjustables- on sale $0.88 each, used buy 6 get 6 free coupon from 10/10 RP

Total after coupons and $2 ECBs from first transaction: $0.85

So I spent $2.26 total out of pocket and I now have another $7.99 in ECBs to use next time (same amount I'd brought with me!)! Could I have done better? Probably, but I was tired so I didn't feel like getting all mathematical. And I forgot to ask for a raincheck on the Purex 3-in-1 sheets (B1G1 @ $7.99, use 2 $3/1 from 10/10 RP = $0.99 each) but oh, well! I'll stop at another CVS later this week and see if they've got them. :-)

Have you gotten any good deals this week? Leave a comment and share!!

Save Green By Going Green: Part II: Reuse, Recycle!

I know, I know- on Monday I said this would be a three part series, but I decided to combine the reuse-recycle part because 1) I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday and 2) I found it really difficult to separate them into two different topics, because they are so similar! So today I will finish off this Earth Day series with everything I didn't cover last time. :-)

First, let me introduce you to our garden! The photo above is of our backyard garden area. The tree in the foreground is our apple tree, which is awesome to have in the backyard because the kids can have a snack whenever they want it while they're playing outside- they just pluck an apple from the tree! Right behind that are our two garden boxes that my husband built a few weeks ago. They are filled with free mulch from the dump and purchased compost. We're just trying boxes for the first time this year, so we're going to give it a shot and see how it goes.

Just behind the boxes you can kind of see a leafy plant sticking up- that's actually our grapevine, which I have been convinced every year that we've killed off, yet it keeps coming back and last year it actually produced grapes! This year we're going to nurture it and support it properly and hopefully be able to enjoy its bounty.

That large brown square in the back is our corn "plot." My husband got a little overzealous with the tiller and made something more like a cornfield, but I told him that as long as he takes care of it and does the work, he can grow as much corn as he'd like. I am tempted to buy him a straw hat and overalls, though...

Here are our little seedlings poking up from their minature greenhouse on our kitchen table ($6 at Wal-Mart for the just-add-water peat pots and tray with cover):

The cucumbers are raring to go; the tomatoes are a little more hesitant, but coming; the watermelons are following close behind, and the peas and peppers are still sound asleep. But it's been really fun to watch them grow practically before our very eyes- it seems every time I look, something else has sprung up! And we just started these this past week! We also have a few marigolds starting to help with pest control (natural bug repellants).

Now, on to the topic for the day! Reuse, recycle!

1. Gardening

- Grow a home vegetable garden, and make your own compost with kitchen scraps and other organic waste.

- Save money by using natural fertilizers from your own kitchen rather than purchasing pricey manufactured ones, and growing your own tasty veggies rather than buying them from the store.

- Save the planet by keeping organic waste out of plastic trash bags (where it will take much longer to decompose) and out of landfills

- BONUS: fresh homegrown vegetables are SO much tastier than store-bought, and using compost is less toxic than manufactred chemical fertilizers

2. Home products

- Make your own cleaning products- go here for recipes.

- Save money by mixing simple natural ingredients that cost a fraction of what a manufactured chemical cleaner costs

- Save the planet by reusing spray bottles, rather than continually tossing them and buying new ones, and using non-toxic formulas

- BONUS: non-toxic formulas are healthier for you and your home!

3. Freecycle

- Join a Freecycle group in your community to pass on items that you might otherwise throw away, like old magazines, containers, broken items, etc. One man's trash is another man's treasure!

- Save money by finding great items for FREE!

- Save the planet by keeping items out of landfills and giving them a longer life

- BONUS: You can easily declutter your home and have the joy of blessing someone else with your stuff!

4. Recycle (duh)

- Contact your county to obtain a recycling bin and set up a pickup time, or to find locations where you can drop off your recycling

- Save money by using less trash bags- recyclables go in the recycling bin, which means your garbage bags won't fill up as quickly (every little bit helps!)

- Save the planet by RECYCLING! (you know how that works) ;-)

5. Foaming soap

- Reuse your empty foaming soap pump dispenser and make your own foaming soap solution by adding 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and filling up the rest of the container with warm water. Screw on the lid and shake.

- Save money by not having to buy more soap

- Save the planet by reusing your dispenser and keeping it out of a landfill, and using less liquid soap.

- BONUS: You can enjoy your favorite scented soap, even if it's not usually available in a foam!

6. Get creative

- Save your old containers and other items to "dress up", repurpose old magazines toilet paper tubes, styrofoam, and other clean cardboard and plastic waste for use in kids' art projects.

- Save money by making your own cool artsy stuff, and not having to buy art supplies for the kids.

- Save the planet by keeping the stuff out of landfills.

- BONUS: Creative outlets are great for people of all ages!

Here are a few of my "dressed up" items- first, a time capsule for Princess's first birthday. I used an old #10 can which I cleaned out, spruced up with paper and embellishments, and filled with photos and decorations from her party, plus notes from friends and family. She will have the pleasure of opening it on her 16th birthday.

This is an old board book that I turned into a scrapbook using our family's state fair photos:

First, I sanded down the pages, then I cut decorative paper down to size and adhered it to the pages with spray adhesive:

Here is one of the finished layouts:

Also, check out my post here for a fun idea on what to do with old home decorating magazines!

I hope you have enjoyed this very lengthy post on this very special Earth Day, and I encourage you to leave a comment and share your own ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Every little bit helps!

Thanks for the Advice!

Yes, that's my 4-month baby belly!

Thanks to those of you who commented on my Super Saturday post when I asked for a little advice in the maternity clothes bargain-hunting department!

Texaus Momma- I had not thought of peasant skirts! $12 at Sam's huh? I love wearing skirts in the summer because they are so breezy and cool. And your comment inspired me to dig out a peasant skirt I hadn't worn in about a year to wear to church on Sunday- I loved it! So comfy! Great advice!

Sod Fam (Brooke)- Thanks for the support! I have a sister-in-law that just had her third and final child, and she and I are about the same size, only she's shorter than me (oh, the curse of being tall!), so maybe I can talk her into "donating" some of her maternity clothes to me...hmm...

SmallHouse (Sandra)- No Shopkos around here, but I had completely forgotten that Kohl's carried maternity clothes- thanks for the reminder! There's one right up by the Kroger I where I shop, so I will definitely be checking over there this week to see what they've got. 

Richelle- Yeah, I haven't had too much luck with finding things secondhand. Borrowing is a tempting option, though! ;-)

Thanks again to everyone for the advice, and if anyone else out there has ideas for me, bring 'em on! I'm open to suggestions. And by the way, I'm wearing that $40 pair of pants right now, and they are ohhhh so comfy. I hate to admit it, but I think they might have been worth the forty bucks...might have... ;-)

Couponing Part I: My Story!

Image by Thrifty Mommy

Whenever I tell people about my couponing, I always get the same questions:

- Is it hard?

- Doesn't take a lot of time? It seems like a lot of work.

- Can you really find deals that are worth it?

- How much money can you really save?

- Do you have to go to a bunch of different stores? What about your kids- do you take them with you?

- How do you keep all those coupons organized?

Last year I had the opportunity to teach a couponing class at my church, and I think I got all of these questions- plus a lot more! I'd like to give my readers a condensed version of that class, focusing mainly on why I do couponing, how I do couponing, and the real benefits I see from couponing.

Today I'll start with my story, and how I got started, just so you can see where I was coming from. Let's go back to the beginning- well, the beginning for me, anyway, which was just over a year ago. It was the month of January, and I was facing the start of a new year. I've always been careful with our money, but still- that period of time after the holidays is usually when our family feels a bit of a financial pinch. I hit something of a wall when I came home from a grocery trip after having spent around $150 for one week's worth of groceries. I couldn't help thinking, There has to be a better way! Feeding a family of 3 1/2 (my daughter was not quite 2 yet) should NOT be this expensive!

Again, I was already doing a lot of things right- I was trying to stick to a cash budget, but the fact of the matter was when we were out of diapers and we needed more, I had to buy more. There was just no way around it. I felt I was mostly buying essentials and yet I was still struggling to stay within the budget.

I was also doing menu planning, which definitely helped because we were only buying the food we needed. But my husband- a definite snack man- struggled with that. He wanted to have treats and snacks on hand- nonessentials- because he's a big guy (not in a bad way- just big and muscular) and he had a physically demanding job that brought him home hungry. It was frustrating for me to see him go from fridge to freezer to pantry trying to find something to eat that wasn't already designated for another meal.

Well, I was checking my local FlyLady group e-mails one day and someone made a comment about using a binder to organize coupons. She also recommended a blog called Money Saving Mom that had good ideas for coupon organization. I had used coupons sporadically in the past, but they never seemed to be for the exact product we needed, and half the time it was cheaper to just buy generic. But something about it piqued my curiosity, and as eager as I was for some way to save a few bucks, I decided to check it out.

When I got to the Money Saving Mom site, I saw that she was having a one-week special on her "Supermarket Savings" audio eBook about saving money on groceries using coupons. She claimed she could feed her family of four on a budget of $45 a week. $45 a WEEK? I was sold. If she could teach me how to do that, the money spent on the eBook would be totally worth it. I think the book cost $5 or something, and with our money crunch it took me a little while to talk myself into it, but I did and I began to listen.

I was soothed by her sweet, calm, and kind voice as I listened to her talk about the importance of knowing the lowest prices on various items, finding coupons, and scanning store ads to match up coupons with weekly sales. I had to listen twice to a few parts to make sure I was understanding the information completely- it was a lot to take in, and I wanted to know exactly what I was getting myself into before diving in. I sat at my computer and took notes as I listened, and before too long I realized that while it would be more work than making a list and driving to the store, it was definitely doable and I was ready for the challenge.

The first thing I did was renew our newspaper subscription. Hard to save money using coupons if you don't have any, right?

The second step was to start taking notes and comparing prices. At my next Wal-Mart trip I looked carefully at the prices, and I was sure to save my receipt when I got home. Then I made a spreadsheet on my computer of the various items I regularly bought, and I noted how much they cost at different stores. This was helpful, because I also found myself going into stores I'd never visited before- like salvage grocery stores- to compare prices, and I found several that had much lower prices than Wal-Mart for the same items.

The third step had me looking through the sale ads that came with my Sunday paper. I started scouting out the main ones that Crystal had recommended in her book: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and my local grocery stores Kroger and Food Lion. I began to compare their sale prices with the prices from my spreadsheet, and I began to see how the savings could add up. I began to familiarize myself with the money-saving programs in place at each store: ExtraCare Bucks at CVS, EasySaver Rebates and Register Rewards at Walgreens, rebates at Rite Aid, and Catalinas at Kroger and Food Lion. Before long, I was ready to shop!

Check back next week for Couponing Part II: Shopping and Feeling the Rush!

Spiritual Sundays: Toothpaste, Good Stewardship and a Little Faith

Earlier this week I was, yet again, reading O Magazine, because the articles in there are always thought-provoking for me. I like that it's not just the usual "50 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds" and "Navy Blue is the New Black" stuff. The articles are about life, problem solving, discovering yourself, and changing your thinking. I also kind of enjoy the fact that I don't always agree with them, because it gives me an opportunity to ask myself why I don't agree with them and I usually learn something about myself in the process.

So anyway, this past week I was reading an article comparing two business philosophies: the Just In Time (JIT) philosophy and the Just In Case (JIC) philosophy. The Just In Case school of thought supports the idea that you need to put aside something for a rainy day, and stockpiling is good because you always have what you need on hand- Just In Case. The Just In Time philosophy encourages a "buy it as you need it" approach, freeing up space and funds for other things, and celebrates the belief that if and when you need something, you will be able to get it- Just In Time, because the universe is abundant.

The article went on to talk about the many benefits of the Just In Time approach, not only in business but in your life. The author said that so many of our life's problems- financial, health, and relationships- are caused by our subconscious attempts to stockpile. We spend too much because we think we have to snag a good thing before it's gone; we eat too much because there's a part of us that fears not having enough food; and we do too much because we think we need to prove ourselves to others in order to build enough relationships to keep us safe. 

I was kind of understanding the pitfalls of this JIC line of thinking, but I just couldn't latch on to the alternative- the author said why not just let things be what they are and trust in the universe that when you need something, it will be readily available? 

To be perfectly honest, I thought that was just about the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. Especially in THIS economy! What about food storage? What about a 6-month emergency fund? What about having peace in your heart knowing that when the storms of life come, you will be prepared? So what if it takes a little more work to make it so?

But after I re-read the author's main points a few more times, I realized that what she was saying was basically a promotion of the Law of Attraction, like on the dvd The Secret (very interesting, by the way, if you've never seen it). It's the concept of karma- basically, if you put good out into the world, then good will come back to you. 

Now that is a statement I can agree with. I don't think it means that if you give all your money away then one day a check for a million dollars will show up in your mailbox (and I'm not talking about those lovely pretend Publisher's Clearinghouse checks). For me, it's believing that if I follow the Lord's commandments and do the things He has asked me to do with a willing heart and a spirit of love, then He will bless me with the things that are ultimately in my best interest- things I really need. So for me, it's really about faith. The Lord has promised, 

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D&C 82:10)

Lately I've been thinking a lot about this with regards to stewardship. We haven't been doing so great with budgeting lately, and it's frustrating for me to sit down to look at our bank account knowing that we had enough money to cover all our expenses on payday, but now they money seems to have slipped through our fingers like sand and we're borrowing against our savings to catch up. We're still putting more into savings than we're taking out, but as far as I'm concerned, we should be increasing our contributions to savings, not constantly borrowing out of it. As I thought about it, I had something of an epiphany. I realized, Why would the Lord bless us with more, financially speaking, if this is the way we handle what we already have? 

One of my favorite mantras is, "That which does not change remains the same." With finances, there are only three main sources for that change- your employer/outside sources, God, and you. You can't rely on an outside source to give you more money- we simply cannot control what other people do so you could find yourself waiting indefinitely for that next big raise or that check from Publisher's Clearinghouse. You can't expect God to make the change, because let's be perfectly honest- if we're so desperate for more money then we're probably not doing His will when it comes to our money, and "when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." The one person we can control is ourselves, therefore, "That which YOU do not change remains the same."

Quite simply put, I have decided that I will handle my money as if I had millions. Do successful businessmen and corporations work without a budget? Do they spend without keeping an accounting of their expenditures? Do they cross their fingers, hoping they have enough money in the account to cover that last check they wrote? Obviously, the answer to all of the above is no, of course not! Therefore, why should I be any different? Why would the Lord want to bless me financially if this is the way I handle my finances? It's time to start acting like a pro with my money, to prove that I am someone who can be trusted. This includes recognizing the fact that I am blessed with the money I do have and using it to bless the lives of others as well.

I had kind of a silly experience that sort of tied this all together for me this week. With my couponing, I naturally fall into the JIC category because I am able to stockpile many items that I get for free or almost free. One of those items is toothpaste, and this week for our Relief Society Birthday Celebration we were doing a service project putting together hygeine kits. One of the items needed was toothpaste, and so I decided to raid my stash. They only wanted tubes of 6 oz or more, so I started pulling those out. As I did so, there was a little voice in my head saying, But what if you need those later on? What if you are in a desperate toothpaste situation and you gave them all away and your family has to suffer? It seems stupid, but there was a part of me that wanted to be greedy and keep some- Just In Case. Then my much more rational voice came in saying, Kasey, this is for a good cause. There are people out there who need this. Trust me, if you are ever in a desperate toothpaste situation and you didn't have any because you gave it away to someone else out of love, the Lord will provide for you and your family. And if He doesn't, then you were never meant to have this toothpaste in the first place.

Like I said, kind of a silly example, but it just goes to show how I was relying on the Just In Time philosophy, but applying it in a faith-based way. I was making good choices and trusting that by making those choices, I would be blessed when I needed it. I was being a good steward of the things God had given me, and therefore I have faith that He will bless me with more if I am meant to have it. By doing the Lord's will, I know that I will always come out ahead in the end.

Take some time this week and examine your stewardship- do you take great care with the blessings you have? If you were in charge of the universe, would you think you deserved to be entrusted with more based on the way you currently handle what you already have? Do you cling to bad habits and focus on your temporal needs because you fear the Just In Case, or do you exercise faith and trust in God to give you what you need Just In Time?

Just a few things to think about. :-)

Swagbucks ROCKS!

Okay, first let me apologize for totally skipping out on Makeover Monday today. I have a sick hubby and sick son, so there was not a lot of "making over" to be done today (well, other than changing sheets and washing clothes- yeah, that kind of sick! - my son's sheets and clothes, by the way, not my husband's... ;-)). 

I also still owe you some fun birthday party ideas, which is a post-in-progress, but I plan on having them for you tomorrow. Starlet's party was a great success, and I am eager to share the details with you!

But first, I just had to post about SwagBucks! (to read more about it, check out my past posts here and here) I have been wanting both soundtracks (score and regular) to the Twilight movie ever since I saw it, but I just haven't been able to justify the expense. So I've been keeping an eye on my Swagbucks account, and yesterday I started comparing the "prices" (point values, really) of the gift cards they offer and comparing them to the various websites' prices for the mp3 version of the soundtracks. Well, the best price for the soundtrack was on Amazon.com- a mere $8.99! And luckily, the Amazon.com gift card offered on Swagbucks is one of their best values- a $5 gift card for 45 Swagbucks. So I ordered two of them, and they arrived in my e-mail inbox in less than 24 hours. 

I took the codes over to my Amazon.com account, and there is a place where you can actually store gift cards in a special account for use whenever you buy something on Amazon.com. So I inputed both gift card codes and my balance was $10. I then purchased the soundtrack for the Twilight score, and used their downloading tool to put it directly into my iTunes music library on my computer. I'm listening to it now. :-)

What I love is that I now still have $1.01 in my Amazon.com gift card account, which I can use for something else (although I'll probably add in some more gift cards using Swagbucks before I do)- so really, it works just like a regular gift card. I was a little worried that it would work more like a coupon, so I am really pleased to discover how easy and efficient it was- no Swagbucks wasted. I got something I've been wanting for 2 months, at no cost, just for doing some searching on the internet! Score!

Let's just say I'm having visions of adding many Amazon.com gift cards, and my account getting bigger and bigger until I can pay for Christmas next year entirely with the Swagbucks I've earned! Because you can find pretty much anything you're looking for on Amazon.com. And by the way, I had a LOT more than 90 Swagbucks in my account (348 to be exact- and that's from being a member for 2 months), thanks to so many people signing up with me and rocking the searches, so I am eager to buy some more gift cards. 

Woohoo! Thanks Swagbucks! If you haven't signed up yet, go here to do so, and you'll be scoring gift cards before you know it! So much fun! 

Makeover Monday: Falling Into the Holidays!

Fall vase before...

Remember back when I was "fallifying" my home? Well, I decided to give this $2 Goodwill vase a new job for Christmas. I put the scented pine cones and fall leaves into a ziploc bag for storage and picked up 2 packages of colored glass ornaments from the Dollar Store. A clear vase, some shiny ornaments, and I have myself a gorgeous Christmas decoration for my mantel!

Christmas vase after!

I think this would also be really beautiful with silver and blue (or green!) ornaments, maybe add some tinsel for more texture, and even tie a bow around it for a more festive feel. The possibilities are endless! Christmas, here we come!

How is your Christmas decorating going? Do you have any great thrifty holiday decorating ideas to share?

Swag Bucks Update!

So if anyone is curious about my venture into "Swag Bucks" that I talked about last week, I just wanted to share that it has been 1 week and I now have 25 Swag Bucks! Once I reach 45 I can get a $5 gift card to Amazon.com! Or I can wait for 115 and get a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. Or I could wait even longer and get even better gift cards... :-) If you want to see how one mom financed nearly her entire Christmas with Swagbucks, click here. But be sure to come back here and use my link if you want to sign up! ;-)

And just so you know, I don't spend hours online searching just to win Swag Bucks- I do probably an average of 20-30 searches a day. I also don't have a bunch of people who signed up under me- only 3, and only 1 of them has been using the search engine and winning Swag Bucks (she got me 5 of my 25), so really and truly this is an EASY way to get free gift cards! Not to mention it's kind of fun- you'll just be doing your random searching when suddenly a Swag Buck pops up! So exciting!

Anyway, if it can work for me, it can totally work for you. And if you sign up under me, I get more bucks even faster...hee hee hee...So if you think it's something you'd like to try, click here. Signing up is super easy- all you need is a name and an e-mail address. Start today and have your friends sign up under you and by Christmas you (and I!) could have some pretty sweet gift cards...

Have a beautiful thrifty day!

$2 Gift Certificates are Baaack!

Just call me your personal Restaurant.com hookup, because I just love to share these deals with you! Once again, they're doing their best deal yet-

80% off Savings on $25 Gift Certificates. $2 when you use code SURPRISE.Valid only 11/18/08 thru 11/20/08.

That's right- a $25 gift certificate to a great restaurant for a mere $2! And again, yes, you do have to spend at least $35 to use one of these, but still- $12 for a $35 meal is not half bad! And that means that anytime you have $10 to spare, you can go on a great date or take your family out for a nice meal. To read about my great date using one of these, read this post.

Great stocking stuffers, people...

Gift Cards- Just in Time for the Holidays!

Hey guys, I was just on MoneySavingMom and I saw this post about SwagBucks- this is a search engine site that actually gives you points to do a search. What do you do with the points? Redeem them for merchandise and gift cards! Apparently it's pretty profitable!

I didn't waste any time and I signed up- you can too, just go here to sign up. It's free and you start earning points immediately. I love it when I can do something I always do anyway and it earns me money! 

Once you sign up, you can invite your friends to sign up and increase your earnings (that's what I'm doing right now- can you tell?). Let me give you one more link in case you missed it- sign up for SwagBucks and get free stuff and gift cards!!

Again, it works just like a regular search engine (like Google) and it's free to sign up. Check it out!

Easy Deals of the Week: Hair accessories, baking powder, and cereal!

It's time for another Easy Deals of the Week, where you can snag great deals using only coupons from last Sunday's paper, or coupons you can print from your computer!

Let's start with Wal-Mart- since Wal-Mart doesn't run weekly sales, this deal will probably be good for quite awhile!

Goody Ouchless Hair Accessories- Wal-Mart prices start at $2.12

Use this $2/1 Goodys Ouchless Hair Product coupon

Final Price is $0.12! Great for stocking stuffers!!

Now on to Walgreens....

Clabber Girl Baking Powder- on sale 2 for $1

Use $1 off 2 coupon from Sunday (11/9) paper

Free after coupon!

Kelloggs cereal (Frosted Mini Wheats, Smart Start, Special K, and Raisin Bran)- on sale 4 for $10, get $2 in Register Rewards when you buy 4 (use like cash on your next purchase)

Use $1 off 1 coupons (there were 2 that would apply) from Sunday (11/9) paper or this $1/1 printable coupon

Final price is $1 each after coupons and Register Rewards!

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for these great deals!!

Have you found any great deals this week? Leave a comment and share!