I'm sure you all have that mom friend that always knows of all these crazy deals and makes you feel like a SPENDAHOLIC...well Julia is my SUPER SAVER MOMMA FRIEND. Almost every time I talk to her she shares some great deal, super cheap find, and some awesome coupon just saved her a bagillion dollars. SO...I asked her to write a guest post to shed some light on this oh so important topic: SAVING $. Now we can all be that super saver friend to someone else if we only put to use these great tips. Check out Julia's blog, I never Drank Coffee Until I had Kids, for lots of other great posts, especially the very real and funny list of things she's learned as a NEW MOM.
Dollars and Cents
By Julia Vegas
Being a mom is hard work. So when Valeria of Making Mommy-hood Easier asked me to write about couponing/saving, I of course said “yes”! Having a child makes you really think about where your dollars and cents are going, because you want to be able to provideeverything their little hearts desire!First and foremost, if you haven’t signed up for Amazon Mom, shame on you. This is the only way I am able to spend $20 a month on diapers, and I change quite a bit of diapers (Jackson really likes spinach smoothies). Amazon Mom gives you the luxury of free 2 day shipping, and 20% of “subscribe and save” items (diapers, wipes, etc) and so much more! You also get 15% off beauty, grocery, household items (think laundry detergent for all the laundry mom’s get to do). It really is a deal. Just today I placed my monthly order for Huggies Overnites 64 count for $13. 99. That’s right folks, what costs the average mom $20 at Target, Wal-mart or any other retail store just cost me $13.99 for two months of wonderful, non-pee soaked crib sheets!
Sleeping Beauty
I purchased Huggies because Pampers Overnight diapers had Jackson waking up wet for a week straight (aka miserable baby, and miserable mommy). I’m a Huggies mom all the way, but to each their own and of course their are great deals on Pampers too!
How else can one save? Well if your really looking to stretch your dollar, you can make your own laundry detergent! I haven’t tried this, but it sure does sound enticing to spend $20 and have clean clothes for 9 months! There are so many DIY projects that can save big bucks, even on the things you “splurge” on. Try making your own wall plug-ins, instead of paying $12 at bath and body works. Decorating a home, while on a budget can be difficult when your trying to save.Why not buy a gorgeous piece of fabric and using a stable gun, staple it to a blank canvas? In an instant, you have a new piece of wall-art! Want to have pictures taken of the kids, but don’t have the cash to pay a photographer? Tape a piece of fabric to the wall and voila!, instant photo studio!
Also try Notifinder.com to save you time when searching Craigslist for awesome deals. I just got Jackson a Smart Trike BRAND NEW for $50 that is worth $119.99 at Toys ‘R’ Us. Sure, the kid in the back seat was probaly crying the whole way home after his mom gave it to me, but hey, my kid sure is happy!
When it comes to food, you would be surprised by how much you throw out. I, however, was tired of throwing food out, so now I’m thankful for my freezer. One of Jackson’s favorite dinners is a turkey meatloaf I make from my “Deceptively Delicious” cookbook, which is all about using puree’s in dinners to get your kid’s to eat vegetables. With the help of my freezer, I am able to cut and save slices to easily serve later to him when I am in a rush to feed him dinner. I won’t eat the meatloaf (something about knowing puree’s are in it) so it makes it easy to make a whole batch knowing it won’t go to waste. I almost never throw food out anymore(unless it’s rotten). If Jackson only eats half a banana, the other half goes in the freezer for a smoothie another day. Won’t eat his vegetables I made? Make a tomoato sauce and throw the veggie puree in there, they won’t notice a thing!
Coupons help save some bucks too! If your new to couponing (I am, thanks to Extreme Couponing on TLC) you can easily come up with ways to stretch a buck.I don’t know anyone who every spends full price at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They practically beg for you to have everything at 20% off! Look for your store’s weekly ad and match sales with your coupons. Doing so, I have managed to get free dog treats for Bruno, free toothpaste, shampoo for less than 25 cents, etc. I wish I would have done it sooner! You can easily print coupons from manufacturer websites up to FIVE TIMES per I.P. address! Think about the savings! The Krazy Coupon Lady is an awesome way to get in on the action of couponing. She even tells youwhat coupons to use at which store. She does the work for you, so what are you waiting for, get to saving!
Living in Austin, I am lucky enough to have Free Fun in Austin to go to when I am in a rut for things to do without spending alot of cash. Maybe in your city, you have something similar just haven’t looked. If you don’t, why don’t you become the city guide for things to do on the cheap! You will be able to learn all about your city, it’s hidden gems, and all there is to do for free!
Groupon, Living Social, and Eversave are just a few of many deal sites that you should definitely look into, if you haven’t already. I have been able to take Jackson, myself and Matt to the zoo three times so far for $6 total each visit! Fandango movie tickets are a great snag when they are available because what mom doesn’t need a date night with the hubby for $5 each? It’s a great way to splurge on the kids as well! I have been able to buy Jackson a month membership to My Gym for $49, which was worth $175! A few months ago, when I was not pregnant, I bought vouchers to Bikram Yoga for $30 for 5 classes! Each class at my local studio is $17 plus mat and towel, but I was able to get mat, towel and 5 classes for $30! What a steal! There is always something for everyone when you visit a deal site. Oil changes, restuarants, movies, sky diving, hotels, if you can think it, you can save money on it!
When it comes to toys for the kids, I wouldn’t hesitate to check out retailers online websites before buying in the store. For example, I bought a pathfinder wagon for Jackson’s first birthday that was at Wal-mart for $79 in the store. Online it was $62 withfree in-store pickup. What did I do? I paid for it online, got in my car, drove the 2 miles to Wal-mart and picked up my $62 wagon that was in the store for $79. Online and In-store prices are almost never the same. Check first!
Remember, saving doesn’t mean have a ”boring today”, it means saving for a “better tomorrow”. You can get a deal on just about anything if you just know where to look.Good Luck saving!
Thanks Julia for sharing your WISDOM!!!
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