Gift Card Promo Time!!!!!

May and June are my most favorite time of year as a couponer!!! Even if you are just a beginner, or don't really 'buy into' the whole couponing craze...this is simply the easiest way to save $10 off your grocery bill!!



For the weeks leading up to Mother's Day and Father's Day/Graduation most chain grocery stores (Safeway and Albertsons specifically) do a gift card promotion, where if you buy a specific amount of gift cards to certain stores, you will get a coupon for $10-20 off your next grocery bill!! Usually safeway offers $10 back when you purchase $50 in cards, and Albertsons has been known to do $20 back for a $100 purchase. It's the same 20% savings, so it just depends on which store has the card you want!!

Here is what I have done the past few years:

For Mother's Day, I will buy a few Old Navy/Gap gift cards and just save them for when I might see a great sale...this year, I need some comfy summer clothes for our trip to Disneyland, so I will use them now!!

For Father's Day, they usually do Lowe's/Home Depot so I either use the, to buy my hubby his Dad's Day gift (it was a $250 BBQ grill last year), or just save them for projects around the house!!

Basically, use the gift cards either now for things you need, or save them for later when you see something on sale, the store gift cards never expire...so you can even prepare for Christmas or birthdays!!

Both the 'Catalina' ($ off coupon) and the gift card spend like cash, so when you go to use them, you can use coupons to save even more...that's the best part!!!

CAUTION:

Make sure you buy within the dates of the promo, and only certain gift cards are included, so pay attention!

Although the gift card you bought never expires, the $10-20 off groceries usually does within a week or two, so be sure to use it!! Last year, the $10 off was good for ANY purchase, but this year it has to be used on a purchase of $25 or more (buy $25 of groceries and only pay $15).

Black Friday...

I can now officially say, I hate Black Friday! I know that everyone complains that they start it earlier and earlier every year, and that its just too crazy to deal with, but my hatred for it is so much deeper. Beyond the fact that this day of excessive consumerism is just an excuse to spend way too much money on things people don't need and then just perpetuates this cycle of people missing the whole "point" of Christmas and just worrying about buying the best gift and trying so desperately to meet others' expectations. Black Friday is now costing people their families...

Several years ago, long before I so tragically lost my mother way too soon, I gathered up a group of my favorite girlfriends to spend the evening with me and my parents for my birthday. We all got dressed up and headed to The Melting Pot for a fancy meal, and it was a blast. I have always enjoyed spending time with my mom, and this night was no exception. Toward the end of the meal, one of my friends changed the subject from whatever we were talking about at the time to trying to decide where us girls were going to head next. I was a little annoyed, because my mother and step-father had just graciously treated us all to dinner, and I was really enjoying spending time with them and being silly. Several more times over the next several minutes, this friend kept bugging us to get going onto some other "fun" event that we should partake in. Finally, I guess she got fed up waiting, and she just stood up and said, "Let's go!" Even though it was MY birthday and I wanted to stay and hang out longer, I obliged and us young and hip gals went out on the town while my folks went home. That friendship didn't last long after that night, and looking back, I would give anything for 30 extra minutes laughing and chatting with my mom.

How does Black Friday compare to this night? Well, because now stores are staying open all day on Thanksgiving, or opening up at 9pm...or even earlier! IT IS THANKSGIVING PEOPLE! It is a day to spend time with the family that you never get to see but maybe twice a year. It is a day to be thankful for what you have. It is a day to focus on the important things in life, a day to remember your priorities. I don't want to leave my family early to go stand in the rain so that I can save a few bucks on some crappy toy. I don't want to sacrifice what little time I might have left with these people to go shop! I know that these stores aren't making me do anything, that these sales are going to happen whether I am there or not, but I just don't understand why our society thinks that this is an acceptable practice. If I do want to get one of these good deals, I have to sacrifice something much more valuable, something priceless, to obtain it. It is not worth it. I used to like Black Friday. I used to enjoy getting up early after my turkey coma, getting a Starbucks, and beginning the Christmas season with a bang, but I will no longer participate. These stores are acting a lot like my selfish and insensitive friend, they are asking me to give up a very sacred family holiday to go be reckless and irresponsible. I no longer wish to be friends with them.

If you are heading out for Black Friday---I mean Black Thursday---that is your choice. Just make sure you aren't giving up something much more valuable than what you are getting.

Creating a Christmas budget...that you can STICK to!

Preventing myself from going overboard when buying things for other people is the hardest part of budgeting for me! I am constantly thinking of gifts I could get people (usually for no reason) because I guess that is how America is taught to show appreciation...buy something! I could go months without buying myself a new shirt or some perfume, but it is almost impossible for me to leave a store without me grabbing a cool knick-knack or some other random trinket to give to a loved one and say, "Here, I saw this and thought of you!" Christmas is absolutely the WORST time of year for this habit! Partly because I start shopping so early, always with good intentions of staying on budget, but by the time the 25th of December rolls around, all of those tiny little "treasures" I have found FAR exceed what I had committed to spending. A few years ago, after getting really on-track with Dave's cash system, I created a great way to not only stay on budget for Christmas, but to also stay very organized with my gift giving and purchases! Here are a few tricks I use to be successful:

1) Decide on a TOTAL Christmas budget: When you start gearing up for Christmas shopping (I usually start right after Halloween...) decide what your Christmas budget is going to be. Ideally, you should have been stowing money away for a while, or at least had a plan where this money was going to come from. Deciding on the budget should NOT be determined by how many people you have to buy for or by what you believe people expect from you, it should SOLELY be determined by how much you can afford! For us, this budget has been $1000 total. This includes traditional gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts for parties, gag gifts, and neighbor/coworker gifts. Once you have decided on your total budget, go to the bank and pull it all out in cash. (Again, if you have been saving and planning ahead, this should be easy!)

2) Start an envelope system solely for Christmas shopping: Next, grab a whole bunch of blank envelopes and a pen. Put a name or category on each envelope and don't forget to label one, "Whoops!" For example, I will label an envelope with each person I will be buying for, ie parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, children, spouse...etc. Then, have envelopes for other smaller categories like neighbors/friends/coworkers. As for your "Whoops" envelope, that is a little extra for those people that you forgot!!

3) Divvy up the cash! After each person and category is determined, it is now time to divvy up the cash! Start deciding how much you will allot to each envelope and put that amount of money inside. Maybe $25 for your sister, $100 for your kid, $50 to buy for your neighbors and coworkers...and then whatever is left, stick it into your "Whoops" envelope!

4) Keep it organized: As the season progresses, you can write that person's wish list on the envelope, or print it out and stick it inside. Use each envelope to document what you bought the person so you don't panic when it is time to deliver them and forget what is wrapped in that box! You can also keep receipts inside each person's envelope for easy returns later on!! When each person's envelope is empty of cash, you are done shopping...no accidentally going over budget, and no worrying if you have shopped for everyone on your list!

5) Whoops! The "Whoops!" envelope is great for those people who show up at your house with a gift that you weren't expecting, or for that person who you totally forgot to buy for! I like to buy gift cards with my "Whoops" money and have them on hand to quickly stick in a card at the last moment, and voila, instant gift! PLUS, many restaurants give bonus cards or gifts for buying a certain amount of gift cards, so its an easy way to get a little kick back for your Christmas shopping :)

Other great tips for staying on budget:

• Talk about your goals for saving money over the holidays with your family and friends. You would be surprised how many people are in your same boat. They might actually be relieved that you just want to do it "low key" this year. Last year I hosted all of my extended family at my home for Christmas, and I suggested that everyone donate to their favorite charity or do some random act of kindness (doesn't need to cost money) and just share with everyone instead of exchanging gifts. It was so meaningful and we had a lot of fun just being together!
• Either avoid "Black Friday" or go with a VERY strict list! I have a love/hate relationship with this crazy holiday, but I know some people love it! Be sure to go into the store with an idea of what you want, and use your cash!! It can be a great way to stretch your gift buying dollars, but it is an equally great way of buying waaaaaaay too much stuff!
• Trade services with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and local family members. Offer as your gift a night of babysitting so they can head out. Offer to fix that laptop they desperately need repaired! Give your co-worker a "free pass" from kitchen duty in the break room! This is a great way to save a little cash, but the value of the gift is priceless!
• Make stuff! I know homemade gifts sometimes get a bad rap, but in certain situations, it might be really appreciated! I know one of my in-laws makes awesome blankets, bean bag chairs, and other kid items, so this year since I am buying my son a kitchen play set, I asked her to make him some of her sewn play food made out of felt. Saved her the money and hassle of getting her nephew a gift, and he will love it!!Or, if none of your family or friends appreciate that kind of stuff, make a whole bunch and sell it at one of the many Christmas Bazaars and use that money toward your budget!
• Prioritize. This is the most important, and easiest change to make. Really sit down and think about why you enjoy the holiday season so much. For me it is spending quality time with my family, playing in the snow, Christmas music, and drinking hot cocoa and looking at all of the lights. Get rid of some of those super time-consuming or expensive traditions you have that stress you out more than you enjoy, and replace them with more rewarding and personal memory-making events. I'm absolutely positive that in the long run, you will remember those quiet nights at home watching movies with your kids in front of the fire way more than running around all stressed out!

Let me know if any of you have any great money saving traditions or tips!!

Rainy days...

Here in Portland, there is a group of protesters rallying the city to turn on water and other utilities on a foreclosed home so that the squatter (the former owner) can stay there comfortably. This woman has already been evicted several times by the bank and the police, but she and all of her "posse" believe that it is her home and she deserves to stay there. She claims that she got into a "bad" loan and that the banks and the government should not have kicked her out just because she fell behind. I know that many of my liberal neighbors would feel pity on this woman for being kicked out of her home by the "big bad banks", but I have a different opinion.

Unfortunately most people in my generation grew up with the misguided belief that if something goes wrong in their life, it must be someone else's fault. It's hard to find someone these days that is able to take personal responsibility when they are facing a hard time, instead of finding an excuse that is out of their control. Of course there are things that do happen on life that are out of your control, but those things are great ways to learn something and change your behaviors. But if you aren't using enough common sense to make good decisions, and something bad happens, you can't blame anybody but yourself. This woman entered into a mortgage on her own, it may not have been a good rate or may have had a lot of costly stipulations, but she signed it and agreed to make the payments. She knew very well that if she fell behind, they would take her house. That is how a mortgage works. If the economy went south, and she lost her job, that is not the fault of the bank. Bad stuff happens. If she didn't have a savings plan or was able to find another job, the consequences have to fall on her. Nobody is promised a free ride in this world, when bad stuff happens, you take care of it yourself. Too many people live for the moment and never stop to think about what might happen on a "rainy day." It really is unfortunate that she did not have a "rainy day" plan, but the right thing for her to do is walk away and learn a valuable lesson for next time. Make sure you are entering into contracts you can keep, have a plan during the sunny days to save for the rainy days, and if things turn bad, handle them appropriately. I have gone through my fair share of rainy days, but I have always worked my butt off to get through them and learned valuable lessons for what I can do differently next time.

No matter what happens, there is ALWAYS something that can be either done to fix the situation, ways to prevent the situation, or at least a lesson to be learned from it. The government, big banks, corporate America, and CEOs are not responsible for you, they are there to run their businesses and they have worked VERY hard to be where they are. There are not any successful and wealthy people out there who got where they are because they sat on the curb and complained about life being unfair. They got there by working hard, facing a lot of obstacles, and taking responsibility for them and working even harder.

Instead of seeing more coverage of this woman and her plight to have someone else right her wrong, lets see more coverage of people who are struggling to get by but are keeping their head up and being responsible to the people who rely on them and keeping the promises they made. Lets also start thinking about some new lessons we can learn from this bad economy, and how people can change their habits so that a "rainy day" doesn't turn into a storm!

Crossroads

I have realized something about myself in the last couple of weeks...I am not very good at making decisions. I constantly worry about making the right choice, and I often feel that no matter how much thought and preparation go into making a decision, I still feel like I am rushing into things. My mind always plays out the worst possible scenario and that scares me into backing out and keeping the status quo. I have also realized that I really crave affirmation from everyone around me, and my ideal situation would be for someone else to make the hard choices for me. I mean, I know that asking people you trust about their opinions is a good thing, but I think I rely on other peoples' judgement too much. John and I have come to a crossroads in our life together, and a lot of big changes are in the works. I really need to find the strength within to go with these changes and trust that we are doing the right thing.

Maybe the biggest hurdle for me in accepting change, is that things are not going the way I had planned them out in my head. I never really had a whole life map for myself anyway, but I had envisioned finishing school (check), getting married (check), finding a teaching job (still waiting for that one), starting a family (check), and then I planned on taking a few years off to enjoy being a mom and then finishing my career out in a job that I loved and offered the optimal schedule for raising a family. Well, things are not quite working out that way. I have yet to find a job that will offer a steady stream of income, and while substitute teaching is a great part-time way to earn some extra money, it is incredibly unstable and it poses a real challenge in finding child care. Meanwhile, John and I are just treading water in our current situation just waiting for something to improve. On top of the fact that finding a job is difficult, I have a real fear of committing to something full-time because while I pride myself on working my way through college and having a great work-ethic, I have never actually had a full time, 5 day a week, 8-hour a day job. I'm worried that I will be overwhelmed by all of the new responsibility of having a full-time job, raising my son, maintaining a relationship with my husband and my family, as well as taking care of a home that already gets neglected most of the time. I doubt my abilities as a teacher as well. I have really great days and I get really pumped up and excited about it, but the long hours, the challenging students, and the many obstacles facing the profession really make me wonder if that is what I want to invest my life in. I have looked at other career paths as well, but the problem I face there is that I really have no other skills or experience outside of the teaching profession and my work in customer service. I'd really love to work in HR or college admissions, but they want experience and schooling in those fields. This is all just very depressing. I just wish I had the ability to see into the future and know what I was supposed to do at this crossroad. Do I wait out the teaching economy and devote my life to that, but in the meantime live in this agonizing limbo? Or do I turn elsewhere and get something full-time now, but put my dear boy in daycare and possibly overextend myself and get into a career that I am not as passionate about?

Buying our first home is also very stressful. I have seen and heard of way too many horror stories of people getting into homes that become a complete money pit and ruin marriages and financial dreams. My biggest fear is failing as a wife and a mom because the everyday stresses of life become too much. The biggest reason for divorce is money, so it seems like a deal with the devil to get into a financial obligation that I have doubts about. But then I step back and realize just how much John and I have done together so far, and we are leaps and bounds ahead of the average home buyer when it comes to our saving, our budgeting, and our expectations. We aren't looking at more than we can easily afford on one income, and we have proven over the past few years that we can commit to saving and living within our means. Even if something catastrophic came our way (which it has many times), I know we will get through it.

I think I just need to keep thinking rationally, praying, and talking it out and I will eventually be at peace with a plan of action. I just need to trust myself and make the best out of whatever we decide to do!

Moving Forward!

Over the past 3 years, I have completely changed my views on the value of a dollar, managing my finances, setting goals, and living with content. My journey hasn't always been smooth, and I haven't always made the best choices, but I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I would have been if I had never heard of Dave Ramsey. I have done amazing things under extremely difficult circumstances, and I am so proud of how much I have accomplished when it would have been so easy to make excuses and feel bad for myself instead of sticking to my goals. Our first accomplishment was cutting our expenses way down and learning to live with less "stuff" and being happy with what we have. Our second accomplishment was paying off all of our consumer debt, and our third accomplisment was paying for a new (to us) car, a wedding, and a trip to Disneyland all with CASH! Now we are on to a new chapter in our lives and saving for our first home. On May 1st of this year (less than 2 months ago), I posted about starting a Purposeful Savings Account for the down payment on our new home. We started with $2,000 in that account and we began putting every extra penny we could find, my entire part-time paycheck, as well as the money we could get from selling some un-used things around the house into that account. Now, on June 25th, we are up to a whopping $7,000! I can't believe we were able to find $5,000 in less than 2 months! And anyone who says that this would be impossible under their circumstances, you have to remember we did this on one moderate full-time income and a small part-time income at the same time as paying on student loans. We are not wealthy by any means, we just REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want a house!! This just shows that if you put your mind to something, and you really reevaluate your priorities, you can make anything happen! This exersize also taught us that we have a lot more extra money after our monthly expenses than we thought, and that maybe home ownership (and all of the extra expenses that come with it) isn't going to be as difficult financially as we first thought it would be. I am so excited at the prospect of looking for homes in the next few months, and to see what we can accomplish before then!! This also motivates me to come up with additonal ways to bring in a bit of extra income on top of my part time job now...I've been racking my brain lately with being creative and putting my skills to work. Maybe a free-lance tutor? An editor-for-hire? Maybe babysitting occasionally? Or I could just be a big girl and get a real job :)

Happy Saving!

Sarah

Big changes ahead!

Dave's motto for getting pumped up to get out of debt is, "Live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else!" At this point in my life, I was not expecting to downsize and minimize and live like a broke college student, but if I want to get ahead and have the things I want someday, I have to make the sacrifices now. John and I have decided that, although we are making progress toward our savings goal, it is not fast enough! We are going to minimize big time. Whatever that is not essential to our survival or our sanity has got to be cut back or eliminated. We can either live a mediocre life now, or live a great life later. I want a great life. These changes are not going to be easy...or fun...but they are necessary. I want Hudson to know that his parents busted their butts to provide for him, and that we were not afraid to make sacrifices to get ourselves into a better situation. The first time we went "Gazelle Intense" I was working full time and John was working two jobs. We don't have that luxury this time because we have Hudson, but we will have to be creative and figure out a way to do incredible things with less money coming in.

I would LOVE to have any suggestions that anyone has to live on less, earn more, and be happy while doing it!!

Sarah