My Favorite Holiday

Now that it's November I am allowed to get excited about my favorite holiday. One might think I'm talking about Thanksgiving. And another could assume it's Christmas. However, both are incorrect assumptions. My all time, hands down, favorite holiday is Black Friday. (Okay, it really comes 3rd to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I look forward to it in the same way.)

Yes, I am one of those insane people that gets up before the crack of dawn and goes bargain hunting. My favorite years are when I don't really need anything and I can grab a cup of coffee (and doughnut holes from Fred Meyer) and watch the insanity.

I love the ritual of sitting down with a piece of pie (yes, this is usually my 2nd piece of pie...long after the family dessert time is over) on Thanksgiving and pouring through the ads. I jot down everything: who has the best prices, what time they open, etc. and plan my day. I've already thought of the gifts I would like to get people on my list and yet keep an open mind if I see something else for a better deal :)

I try to hit up anywhere that's offering a "freebee" but not if it requires getting up earlier than 4:30am.

I compiled a few Black Friday Tips for you...

1. Try to find an out of the way door and cash register. (I would suggest looking for these a few days before Black Friday)
2. Go with a friend. It makes it so much more fun when you're waiting in lines before stores open. If you don't go with friends, strike up convos with those around you. Friends are also great for waiting in lines inside of the stores. E.g. I went with my mother in law last year and we took turns waiting in line at Target while the other would grab whatever items were on the list. We would then switch. Plan a brunch when you're all done!
3. Go with a plan. Get in, get your item(s). Get out. Get on to your next place.
4. If you don't need an item that is too large to carry, ditch the cart! They are cumbersome and can keep you from getting to whatever it is you need quickly. I like to bring reusable shopping bags to hold my items. That way I can get around easily and still hold lots of things.
5. HAVE FUN!!!

Readers: Are you a Black Friday shopper? What's on your wish list that you're hoping to find a deal for? Have you dealt with insanity of Black Friday's past? Are there any stores you refuse to go to?

Budget Savvy Mommy

With the most recent expense of our dog (and the need for new tires...for both cars, winter coats for the kids, countless house projects, etc.) we've had to tighten up our budget...again. One of the main areas a family can cut costs is in the food budget. Obviously I'm not saying cut out how much you eat; though it might help with losing the last of "baby" around my mid-section. Rather, I'm suggesting cutting out how much you spend.  With a little effort, you can cut your grocery bill in half. For awhile I started my own coupon blog...but then I realized I was putting in a lot of work for very little reward; I enjoyed couponing, not blogging about it. However, there were some good pieces in there to get you started. So here goes...

I've heard the following comments regarding couponing:

1. It takes too much time to cut and organize coupons and then match the deals

True, it does take time. I found the initial start up to be the most time consuming. Now it usually won't take  more than an hour a week for me to clip and organize my coupons. And matching the deals? There are SO many websites that will do the matching for you! My faves: Frugal Living NW, Money Saving Mom,  Coupon Mom In fact, some women don't even clip coupons at all until these websites tell them which ones to clip. 

2. You can only buy junk food with coupons

As you can see from the picture below, there isn't a single item of "junk." And, I essentially got paid to purchase those items. Also, there are tons of opportunities to buy cosmetics, toiletries, etc. for free or close to free. If you don't eat it, and it helps you buy it for free, donate it! (This will make more sense later)

All the items above cost me $9.45 out of pocket. However, I had a $10 coupon to spend on my next purchase. It was like I was paid $.55 to buy all those things. The fruit was organic too.

3. We've all been there (meaning I must coupon because I have to)

Whether you "have to" or not, couponing is a great way to save money. Why give all your hard earned money to the store when you can get a better deal on it? 

4. Don't you have to go to a zillion different stores?

Unless there is an amazing deal elsewhere I tend to stick with Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Safeway and I will usually only pick 2 of the 3 of those to visit. If Rite Aid has a great money maker I will go there but otherwise I don't bother. Walgreens is another great money maker but Walgreens is 20 miles away usually making it cost prohibitive. 

5. And just plain "Why?" 

For me, it's fun; like a game. Where can I get the best deal? What store will pay me to buy this week? My family would rather spend our grocery money on something fun. In addition, we are currently on one income and attempting to remain free from credit card debt so it makes sense to shop frugally.

More to come (but not too much because this isn't a coupon blog ;) )

Readers: What do you do to save money? I need all the tips I can get!

The great toy rotation; de-clutter, de-toy, organize

Toy clutter has overtaken our house. For awhile, it was all things baby: high chair, swing, bouncy seat, baby bathtub, pack in play, diapers, wipes, bibs...you name it, it was out. Now, it's toys. Toys are EVERYWHERE. We've struggled to keep toys at bay in our 1100 sq ft house. We had more toys than we had space to put them. We could never find what toys we were looking for. And, the ironic part, the kids never wanted to play with any of them. 


There was an interesting article I read about how fewer toys is actually better for children. You can read it here. Basically it states that fewer toys is better for the child because they will learn to develop better attention spans, be more creative, hopefully take more of an interest in reading and art, etc. YES!


The plan was simple. De-clutter, de-toy, organize. The solution was amazing. The Great Toy Rotation. 


You will need some Rubbermaid storage bins. We use 2 large bins that we store in the garage. It works best if they are not clear so little eyes can't see what they are missing. (Budget savvy mommies...buy these on sale after Christmas!) 

Fill the Rubbermaid bins with all the extra toys. As you're filling the boxes make note of the condition of the toys. Are they damaged? Missing pieces? Are they too young for your kids? If you answered yes to any of those, either throw them out, or if they are in good condition try to sell or donate them. Don't hang on to them!! 

Decide what will stay out to be played with for this rotation. My rule of thumb is every toy that's out needs a place to be put away on the shelves after play time. That way when everything is cleaned up it looks refreshing instead of crammed and cluttered. If it doesn't have a spot, put it in the Rubbermaid. If you have too many toys in general, try to pick some to donate. 

Once you have your Rubbermaids full and all the other toys in their places, store the Rubbermaids somewhere not easily accessible by your children. We store them on the top shelf in the garage. 

Every 3 months we rotate toys from in the house with the toys in the Rubbermaids. It's like Christmas for the kids. They spend hours, yes hours! pouring over the boxes finding treasures and long ago forgotten toys. I save money, I have a de-cluttered house, and honestly with fewer toys they have a desire to play with them more often. 


Repeat process every 3 months. 


Now, if only I could find a way for the toys to put themselves away. 




Readers: How do you keep toys organized in your home?