So I posted that I have lots of information on budgeting and saving your money and the response was...AMAZING!!! I had no idea so many people would be interested. So, I thought I'd post some of my favorite websites and tips here for you guys!!! This list of pointers and resources is by no means exhaustive, so if you can think of something you'd like info
on, post here and I'll answer or tell ya I just dunno. Good luck on your savings adventure!

Here's the Table of Contents:
-My favorite budgeting and bargain hunting books and websites
-identifying the purpose behind your budgeting and saving
-why you're in big trouble if you don't have a budget
-money doesn't grow on trees (or, the facts of life)
-things you're probably spending money on unnecessarily
-how to cut your electric bill
-avoiding the grocery store "fleece"
-saving for college, retirement, etc. and building your nest egg
-how dh and I did it.

I'm going to add more websites, books, references, etc., but I wanted to get this up and posted
ASAP, as so many people have requested this. I'll also come back and add more detail on certain
subjects as time allows.

Also, I feel like this is an awfully long but not terribly detailed post. Like I said, I'll come back as time allows and add more info, updates. I tried to just hit the high points in order to get this posted for everybody.

Finally, let's all remember that what seems elementary to us, is really hard for others. In other words, you wouldn't believe how long it took me to get it through my thick skull that making $0/month, and ordering chinese every night just wasn't a workable plan...on a number of levels .

Thanks a goodluck!

And don't forget to post feedback/what you'd like more info on!!!

All the best,
Char.

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My favorite budgeting/bargain hunting boards:

Bargain Hunting Tips For Parents (geared towards parents, but great general info on sales, etc. as well!):
http://bbs.babycenter.com/board/pregnancy/...abyfinance/5465

Family Finances (these ladies can tweak a budget tighter than you ever thought imaginable!):
http://bbs.babycenter.com/board/pregnancy/...finance/1294756

My favorite budgeting/bargain books:
_The Complete Tightwad Gazette_, by Amy Dacyzyn

_Miserly Moms_, by Jonni McCoy

***Don't dare buy these books when you can check them out at your library free! Also, a lot of these books are pretty extreme on ways to cut costs, so you may have to read a few before you find one that you like and suits your lifestyle and needs. There's lots more on ways the cut costs, but these are my two personal favorites. Oh, and when you find one you like, don't pay full price!!! Check used book stores, amazon.com (with free super saver shipping), etc. to pay the smallest amount possible.

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Some thoughts on direction...

Why are you trying to cut costs? Most people don't get so tight they squeak for the fun of it, so why are you doing it? To save for college or retirement (or Disney...)? To pay down debt? Do you want to be a full-time parent? Because you're spending is totally out of control?
Whatever the reason, you need to stay focused on it and constantly take your negative thoughts about money and "cheapness" captive. Let's face it, controlling your spending is not fun, it's a fact of life. The sooner you really believe that, and focus on your goals, the easier your time cutting back and budgeting will be.

Get a financial planner. My dh and I pay $400/year for ours (totally deductible, btw), and it pays for itself in dividends. Your financial planner can help you make a budget (if you don't already have one), make sure you have positive cash flow, identify your long term goals, and help plan and save appropriately. It's worth EVERY LAST PENNY!!!

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If you don't have a budget, you're in big trouble...

Some people may take issue with this, but I stand by my statement. I can't tell you how many people I know who don't know how much money they make, and how much they spend. They're the ones who get paid every Friday, and by Tuesday are broke, and for the life of them can't figure out where the heck all their money went.

Some people are more militant about tracking expenditures than others. My husband, for example, has the most complicated budget spreadsheet even our financial planner has ever seen, with every conceivable expense budgeted for. When you make changes in one place, the other no fixed budget line items "roll" to reflect the change in spending. It's seriously compulsive. I don't suggest anyone here do it.

What you need to know, is how much you make every month after taxes. Then make a list of all your known regular monthly expenditures (ie, rent, utilities, car payment, credit cards, etc.). Then, make a list of all of you regular costs that aren't broken into monthly obligations (ie, insurance,
Christmas, car maintainance, etc.). Divide by 12, and add this amount to your regular monthly budget.

The goal, is to earmark the money in savings so that when the obligation arrives, you're prepared to meet it, instead of being caught unprepared, putting stuff on your credit cards, or adding it to the list of reasons you are borrowing from family memebers again (you know, "something came up"), etc.

After your known, non-negotiable expenses are set out, then make a list of "adjustable" expenses. These are your expenses for grcoeries, entertainment, cloths, etc. You can adjust what you think is reasonable based on your own personal needs and goals. I will say, your grocery bill can always be trimmed. ALWAYS!

Budgeting is hard at first. When my husband and I were married, it was about 6 months before we had a real working budget because we just had no idea what a reasonable amount was to be spending on groceries, eating out, entertainment, the dog, etc. But after a couple months, we figured it out.

***TIP*** If you really don't know how much you're spending on things, take a couple months and keep meticulous track of how much you're spending. DH and I accomplished this by simply charging everything
and paying it off at the end of the month, so we had a really easy time tracking expenses and plugging them into a spreadsheet. Heck, a lot of cards will flag expenditures and tell you what the charge was for (ie, gas/automotive, food/grocery, etc.). If this option isn't available, just get serious about writing down in a notepad every dime you spend, and what you spend it on. Sorry. I know it sucks, but it's just gotta be done.

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Money doesn't grow on trees...

So we probably figured this out prior to credit boards, but it warrants repeating: managing money is simple: you've gotta make more than you spend. Of course, we've all discovered the tough part: you've gotta make more than you spend...

It's a simple fact of life. I don't care what you're budget is, there's a way to cut money out of it. You've got to learn what is and is not really necessary in life. You've gotta get used to seeing the THOUSANDS of ways you spend money every day that are frivolous (hehehe). And you've gotta stop being ashamed of counting your pennies. I'm not talking about being a scrooge, I'm talking about being *aware* of what your spending. Let's face it, if you can't afford to be generous, you've gotta much bigger problem than using coupons in the checkout
line at the grocery store.

Whenever you go to buy something, remember this: for every thing one member of your family gets (moneywise), someone else goes without.

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What you're spending money on that isn't necessary...
We need to make an important distinction between what is and is not necessary in life. If you can afford Directv, a big house in suburbia, and getting your hair colored once a month, great! But if you can't make
your minimum obligations, are picking creditors to pay, and aren't meeting your savings goals, then I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you need to decide how badly you really need that online porn subscription .

Here's a list of things you're probably paying for, but can cut:
-Cable service (if you must have it, are you getting the base pkg? Is Directv cheaper? Do you really watch all those channels)?
-Internet service (free or darn cheap!)
-phone service (you only need the base pkg, if you've got call waiting, forwarding, *69, etc., get rid of it!)
-cell phone (can you switch to one of the no contract cell phones, so you're covered when you need it?)
-electricity (do a web search on being more energy efficient)
-cleaning products (you can make your own that are way safer and more effective than what's in stores)
-grocery bill (clip coupons, watch sales, etc.)
-Magazine subscriptions (read them at the library or online)
-babysitting (can you swap with another family?)
-Late and over the limit fees on your cards, and overdrafting the checking account (if this happens to you often, get control, break the cycle, and STOP IT!!!)
-You get the idea...

Now many will balk, and say that they must have high speed internet or cell phones for work. If that's the case, then either your employer should be reimbursing you, or you should be writing it off on your taxes. Case closed.

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How to cut your electric bill

-turn the lights, tvs, computers, etc off when not in use.
-line dry one load of laundry a week
-cut down the temp on your water heater
-NEVER throw towels in the dryer (they take forever! hang them up!)
-only run the dishwasher when it's full/wash big things by hand
-in the summer, turn the thermostat up 2 degrees, you won't notice (unless you're pregnant)
-open the windows and use fans, instead of ac, if your climate and allergies allow

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How to cut your grocery bill

-clip coupons
-buy what's on sale
-combine coupons with sales for super duper savings
-plan your menus based on what's on sale that week
-institute a salad and baked potatoe night (weekly or monthly)
-view meat as a side instead of a main course
-buy the whole chicken and cut it, skin it, and bone it yourself (59 cents a lb, versus $3.99 a pound...)
-eat one vegetarian meal weekly
-don't use meat where it's not absolutely necessary (ie, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, etc.)
-substitute ground turkey for ground beef (healthier, cheaper, and NO difference in taste)
-Buy your bread in bulk, on sale, and freeze it
-Heck, get yourself a deep freezer, get creative about storage, and buy everything in bulk (we store non-perishables under
the guest bed...)
-The less prepared you buy your food, the cheaper (so make the damn salad yourself instead of buying it in a bag)
-Keep a price list (like your budget, write down what you pay for things so that you'll have a point of reference for whether
that "sale" item is really such a good deal)
-Learn to cook, and make it from scratch
-Never go to the grocery store hungry
-Always go with a list, and STICK TO THE STINKING LIST!!!
-stick to the outside aisles (generally produce, meat, dairy, bread, etc.) and you won't get in trouble. The killer
expensive stuff is in the middle of the store.
-Remember that there's a reason the milk is always in the farthest back corner of the store...
-Generally, the most expensive items are placed at eye level. So look above and below for the best deals...
-Be wary of the end displays that look like good deals. I've found that 99% of the time, they post that it's a super deal,
but it's actually a heck of a lot more expensive than whatever the normal (already horrendous) price is. This is especially
true for bread and detergent.
-It's generally cheaper to buy OTC medications, health and beauty supplies, and non-food items in general at the drug store,
or somewhere like Wal-Mart or Target. You'll pay for the extra convinience of "one stop grocery shopping".
-Make your own household cleaners (they're safer and more effective)

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Saving...for vacation, college, retirement, nest egg, etc...

So if you aren't "paying yourself", you really should be.

The first, and most important thing for you to start saving for, is your nest egg. This is what you'll tap when someone loses a job or an unexpected expense (eg, car repair, major medical, new baby, etc.). For most, you'll want three full months of saving to live on in the event someone loses a job as a start, and then dump an extra token amount ($5, $500,
whatever) for when emergencies arise.

DH works in the tech industry, which is particularly volatile, so we have 6 months savings "rat holed" away so that we can make it in the interim if he lost his job. Here's what I mean, to make all our bills and spend just the way we do now costs us about $3K/month. If we cut way back (no eating out, special treats, "play money", etc.) and live at our bare bones
budget (fixed bills + $200/month food), we need $2K/month. We have 6 months full savings stashed ($18K) + extra money for emergencies. We can live the way we do right now for 6 months with no problem.

In any eventuality, if building that much of a nest egg isn't an option for you at this time, you need to have a well planned plan of attack in case of emergency. If you lose your job, what will you do? If you fall unexpectedly ill, how will you handle the bills??? If your car explodes and you absolutely must buy a new one today, how will you pay? Don't run from this, better to face it now than end up going off half cocked due to emotion.

On retirement and college....
If you're a parent, you're no doubt thinking about college. You're probably thinking about retirement. Here's what dh and I have learned:
-it's much less painful to save a little over a long period, so start early.
-as much as you love your kids, you have to pay yourself first. You (or your kids) can get a loan to send your kids to school. No one is going to give you a loan to retire.
-It's a lot easier to save with goals.

So get started now and take advantage of all of those tax deferred accounts!!! Check out 529's for college (you don't pay taxes going in or out), Roth IRAs (you pay taxes on what you put in and capital gains, and you can use them for qualified higher education expenses and retirement, so they can't count against your kids for financial aid purposes), Coverdell (the old education- also can be used for primary and secondary private school) IRAs, traditional IRAs, your company's 401(k) plan (especially if they have a contribution match), the Uniform Gift to minors Act (for college), CDs, etc.

This is where it starts getting really nice to have a financial planner, as you'll need to address the tax consequences of each account, and decide how much risk you're willing to take with your money .

For college, you need to decide how much of your child's education you are willing/abe to finance, and then figure out how much you'll have to save monthly to meet that goal adjusted for inflation. There are lots of great calculators online...

For retirement, you need to decide at what age you want to retire, how much it will cost you to live (keeping in mind that you hopefully won't have debt, including mortgage) per year, and figure out how much you have to save monthly, adjusting for inflation, etc. Again, hunt for online calculators Keep in mind, that most people actually spend about 50% more a year than was typical previously their first few years of retirement (travel, etc.). So be sure to budget for travel, spoiling the grandkids, etc.!!!

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So, sorry for the novel!!! There are lots of other ways to trim that budget, and get used to saving!

Do check the bargain hunting and family finances board that I posted for some really in depth, great tips on ways to cut back. You can also post here, and I'll do my best to provide my expert tightwad opinion, as soon as possible. Also post anything else you'd like to see, it's pretty safe to say I've figured out ways to do just about everything as cheaply as possible. And if I haven't yet, I'm sure someone has .

I'll close with our story, just so you know it really can be done.

My dh and I have been married just over 2 years, and are expecting our second child. We own our home (the only home we'll ever need), drive a pair of junker cars, and live completely on dh's income. I (char) stay home with our son and daughter (well, she's *just about* here. While my (char's) formal background is in microbiology, I have a Real Estate License, and work when I'm able from home (ie, not on bedrest).

DH works in the tech industry. After we stashed our nest egg, we calculated we needed to save ~$25K/year for our children's college, and our own retirement (vacations, etc. are also lumped into this amount). We've managed to do this by aggressively controlling our money, and making sure that every dime we spend is on a necessary expenditure. Because we're only dependant on one income to meet our obligations, any money that Char brings in goes directly to savings, and b/c I work from home, we neutralize the childcare expense.

It's tough. I have a serious Kate Spade bag addiction. But having to scrimp, save, and wait for a sale makes that bag all the more special. You can do it, I know you can!!![/size][size=12]

Great post Char!!

Fantastic post!

And I'm with ya on the Kate Spade I usually just admire rather than buy, and carry the same old ratty wallet and bag I have for ages.

For the last 20 years it seems like our lives (mine & DH) have just been consume, consume, consume...now my goal is to see how little I can buy/consume and how many more of those dollars I can hang onto to invest. Getting rid of all the clutter round the house, as well as financially feels fantastic, and we can breathe

Thanks for the great post!

As promised, more budgeting/saving/money links and resources:

"Americans aren't going broke over lattes"
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/10/...s/index_np.html
Surprised at the soaring bankruptcy rates? Think you know why it's happening??? Read this article. VERY interesting insight on families and bankruptcy.

_The Two Income Trap: Why middle class mothers and fathers are going broke_, by Elizabeth Warren
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...ks&n=507846
Think you can't afford to be a stay at home parent? This book *might* change you mind...In any eventuality, an excellent book on why so many families are struggling to keep up.

And speaking of saving money, you can get a free day pass for salon.com if you'll watch an ad :wink: .

WOW...what an awesome post. I have just recently taken over handling the money/bills for our family & boy was I surprised. I have started a budget & am working to make it better. It isn't hard but it does take time to make it right.

Great post. Keep the info coming!

paw67

:shock: Great post!!

Have you thought about writing a book? You should.

WOW awesome post......can't wait till I have more time to really exlore it.......how bout some help for those folks that are "in a hole" and struggling to get out of it......it happens alot more than you would think and sometimes it's just something unexpected that causes it!! Alot of people live payday to payday and it's not necessarily because they don't/can't manage thier money.

That is where is really gets rough.....robbing Peter to pay Paul and hoping like heck that Frank doesn't show up!!!!

Been there more than one time myself!!!

I'd love the spreadsheet. There are a ton of programs out there, but I like to see what others are actually using.

Anyone wanna share theirs?

If you're in the hole and trying to get out, the answer is to live as cheaply as possible and put everything extra towards those bills.

Ofcourse, that's so much easier said than done!

Do you mind posting your montly budget? That would give some better ideas on where you can/can't cut back. You might also try posting your budget on that Family Finances board, and reading what they have to say about cutting back. THEY are the budget masters.

As far as the excel spreadsheet we use, I don't know a way to post it here...here's what I can do though, I'll copy all of the different line items for the budget and post them. Believe me, dh thought of EVERYTHING! :wink:

In some cases, it pays to spend money to save money.

I pay $1 a week to subscribe to www.thegrocerygame.com . The people who run it scan the sales and the coupons to maximize the grocery dollar. I seriously can save at least $300 per month on groceries by spending $4 a month plus the cost of 2 Sunday papers every week - subscription. (I don't have the time to do what they do.) I use the list to stockpile items that I use regularly. I very rarely pay over $2 for anything in the grocery store, and most items are under $1 and many are free. (If anyone wants a referral, send me a PM for the email addy.) Oh, they offer a free one-month trial, too.

Along this same line, I have a friend who is the most frugal person I have ever met. BUT on some things, she's spending more - things like electronics and other stuff that she uses daily. Why? Because she goes for the cheapest thing she can find, and has to replace them more frequently. For some reason she's always surprised to hear that my <insert item here> has lasted me three times as long as hers did, and when I say well, because it's a good brand it cost a bit more, she always says "I could never pay that much." She just doesn't get that she's already paid double that by having to replace hers while mine is still going strong. :roll:

Buying in bulk is not always the best deal. (See the paragraph re: groceries above.) But stockpiling and storing non-perishables is a great deal. I seriously have like 50 each toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, deodorant, etc. that I got for less than $.50 each (most free) stockpiled in my bathroom. Don't ask me how much TP I have, and not the cheap stuff. Cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, huge hordes of those as well. Non-perishable food. If we were to lose our income then it wouldn't be hard for us to cut our expenditures as 90% of our food shopping would happen in our garage, and we'd not have to buy personal hygiene items for a couple of years at least

great topic, Char!

Excellent, excellent points Pam!!!

The other caveat with grocery shopping, is that you don't use coupons to buy things you wouldn't normally buy. Also, check to make sure that the generic isn't significantly cheaper than name brand with coupons.

One of the best things to start using your coupons on, is cereal. We all eat it, and it *can* be a great source of daily vitamins. Watch grocery store sales on cereals (ie, 3 boxes for $5), and then use your coupons at this time. Even better if double or triple couponing is going on!!! And don't worry about buying a bunch of cereal at one time, I've found it stays fresh (if unopened) for MONTHS!!!

Also, be careful about buying in bulk. It's not always cheaper. In fact, some places will mark up the bulk items b/c people will pay extra for the convinience of buying in bulk, or are just convinced buying in bulk is always cheaper.

To cut down on the costs of joining a warehouse club (ie, Sam's, Costco, BJs, etc), try splitting a memebership with other families. You can either share a card (which, technically breaks the rules), or one person can do the shopping and then divide everything up amongst the group. This works especially well with produce.

Just to give you an idea of the savings available, I pay $8 for 50lbs of flour, and $10 for 50lbs of popcorn kernels (I pop on the stove). So look around, there are deals to be had!!!

I won't tell you how many boxes of cereal I have. The two biggest chains here double coupons all the time, so I can get great deals (although never 3/$5 just because things are more expensive here altogether.) I average about $.75 per box every trip.

Health and Beauty/Personal Hygiene items are another way to start using your coupons. Better deals on these at WalMart/Walgreens/Target/RiteAid, though.

And absolutly don't buy things you don't normally use just because you have a coupon and it's a good deal. It's not a good deal if it ends up going to waste. The only exception to this is if you put together boxes for food banks or other charities. (I do this regularly.)

Chari, you ROCK! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!

chari can you supply a link for the family finances board for those of us who may want to go take a look????

Also, ITA with Pam...for alot of people buying in bulk just doesnt' work....it's just me and my son in my home, what the heck am I going to do with 5 gals of pickles or a gallon of catsup? I gave up my Costco card because I was actually spending more and had more waste......

here ya go sweeite!
Family Finances (these ladies can tweak a budget tighter than you ever thought imaginable!):
http://bbs.babycenter.com/board/pregnancy/...finance/1294756

Thanks Chari....you are awesome.....

Great tips & advice! I just wanted to add a suggestion regarding electric use & savings. I use high efficientcy light bulbs. Just this weekend we moved into a home in CO. I noticed that every light fixture had two to four 75 watt traditional bulbs. I went to Sam's Club and got a pack of 6 bulbs that produce 60 watts (each), but only use 13 watts (about $11.50 for the pack). They last 8000 hours. I am going back to get more soon, energy costs + inflation make this a wise investment now. I know Home Depot and Ikea also carry them.

subscribing...... and a tip. I think I heard it from someone on here. Unplug your microwave when not in use. Only plug it in when you need to heat something up. Saves a lot on the electric bill.

what a GREAT post....I followed you over from the CB forum...didn't expect to see this though....a pleasant surprise...a wealth of information....thanks for taking the time to post!!!!

Before 9/11 focused his attention mightily, Prez. Bush was having the federal government go after "energy vampires" ... things like TVs and VCRs and microwaves that drew electricity when not in use.

http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/07/31/...sh.energyorder/

what about computers? we can't decide if we should turn it off or leave it on.

Depending on how long you're going to leave it off, TURN IT OFF!!!

For five minutes, yeah, it takes more energy to restart. But a couple hours, overnight, etc., it's definitely best to turn it off...or atleast make it hibernate/go to sleep.

Great thread. Here's another one full of money saving tips:
http://www.creditboards.com/phpBB2/viewtop...pic.php?t=45756
A tip I can add is to clean the A/C unit outside by spraying the sides real good with a hose. Also clean or change the filters on the inside unit, both should be done monthly. This makes it run more efficiently, thus saving electricity.

half.com (an ebay sister company) is a great site for used books. and to sell through...

Pam mentioned Riteaid for personal items--I love their online rebate program.

for entertainment in So. CA during the summer, there isn't a better deal around than the Hollywood Bowl. You can buy tickets for as low as $1-$3 in the cheap seats, I've seen some incredible concerts this way, including Natalie Cole and B.B. King.

Moving this awesome, Char by request thread, to the money management forum.

Sassy

don't know if this site was linked somewhere in this forum but i do know that some ideas were touched on... such as using energy efficient lightbulbs.

Alliance to Save Energy

some of the ideas there are pretty easy, tho using a ceiling fan in my place would send one of my cats into cardiac arrest... she's absolutely TERRIFIED of the thing! don't know if she thinks a giant hawk or UFO is after her or what...lol!

and making sure i have a full load of laundry... no need since i have an energy efficient front loader that determines the amount of water needed... and my dryer senses dryness and stops on it's own rather than going on unnecessarily.

and as i sit here in front of my computer listening to a home shopping show selling Food Saver vaccuum sealers, i'm wondering, does anyone here have one and is it really worth it? my fiance said he kinda wanted one but is it *really* worth spending the money on something like that in order to buy cheese n other stuff in bulk and it not go to waste as quickly?

I wanna see your husband's spreadsheet! All info blanked out of course! And your idea about a financial planner might just make my wife open up to the idea more. I've been wanting to pay a financial planner but she doesn't. I say it's worth the money, she's not so sure. I KNOW OUR BUDGET IS A TRAIN WRECK! I also know we both make enough to cover all our expenses and then some, but we just don't. *SIGH*

^ I, too, would like to see your DH's spreadsheet!!

read a fiction book, about a mexican woman's life... I sometimes like reading books written about someone from a poor background. Sometimes there are tips to be gotten from them. This book gave the mexican student's diet, mushroom and potato tacos, and refried beans over toast. I sometimes shop aldi's, they have white bread for .39 and I think refried beans for .59, looks like a cheap meal to me.

Amazing wealth of info. Thank you Char for posting it.

My dad was given a vacuum sealer after my mom passed away. He was able to do most his shopping in one trip by buying his meats/cheese in bulk and bread at a thrift store. DH & I bought him an upright freezer becaus ehe had to fix his meals form scratch due to diabetes and a very restricted diet. He loved his food sealer. Besides using it for meats and cheeses, he also would cook up meals that would be several portions. Then he would freeze those portions as well. Things like chicken/fish off a grill, meatloaf, veggie dishes. Al lhe had to do to reheat the items was put the vacuum bag into a pot of hot water. DH & I plan to get one to use fo rleftovers, especially since we have a very large chest freezer.

Don't forget to check for bread thrift stores. In our area bread is usually 3/$1.99 but about every 2 months they do a 1 day sale at 2/$1. We stock up big time then. If you want the freshest bread, look at the color of the tie. The ties are put on during the week in alphabetical order: blue/green/orange/red/white/yellow

I subscribe to Cheapstakes newsletter. Today there was mention of a website/company that pays consumers for their used printer cartridges. Not all printers are represented; however, seems as if they have quite a few. Here is the website: http://www.empties4cash.com/MainFrame.html The newsletter also mentioned that the company pays for postage. Not sure if they do or not, I am at work and have not had an opportunity to read it yet.

However, here is a way to add a little cash to the savings. Up to $4.00 per cartridges.

I just found the grocery game site and I love it.

Unfortunately the Grocery Game doesn't have service in my area -- bummer! It looks like an awsome site.

sunshinemb, try the fourms at this site.

http://dealagogo.com/

People post the deals the find with the coupons from Sunday papers, online coupons, etc. for most all of the big store chains.

Can someone please explain grocerygame.com to me in a little more detail. I checked it out and they only store they have in my area is the MOST EXPENSIVE STORE in my area and my husband and I don't shop there at all. I'll try to research it further, but I don't like to give my CC info and then get caught after the free trial (b/c i forgot to cancel and they don't give a refund).

The pricing info is confusing. How and why does it vary from store to store?

After your optional* 4 Week $1 Trial, TERI'S LIST is just $10 every 8 weeks for the first store LIST you choose, and $5 every 8 weeks for each additional store LIST (if more than one store LIST is available in your area). Example: 1 store List: $10 every 8 weeks, 2 store Lists: $15 every 8 weeks, 3 store Lists: $20 every 8 weeks. Cancel anytime!


What is all this about?

this book is .29 + shipping right now

In regard to saving electricity, I have my computer on a battery backup which I can turn off every night. Also, I have a significant amount of home theater equipment which runs on a large surge protector. The AT&T receiver is plugged into the wall so it doesn't have to restart every day, but the TV, stereo receiver, and DVD player gets turned off every night via the surge protector. I estimate it saves around $10 a month in my electric bill. Hey, that's something.

Excellent article!! Some real practical ways to save money, finally! I read or heard somewhere that people's spending/ saving habits usually become concrete during their early 20's (Which makes sense) If only there was a way to encourage the younger generations to take up the habit of budgeting.

Will you marry me? Just kidding but could I have your brain transplanted into my wife?

I am going to try the grocery game. I just looked at the website and am already an avid coupon clipper. I am currently spending $150 - $225 for a 2 adult household. I think this can be scaled down greatly. My teenage son will be joining us this summer, so I really need to get my budgeting in check.

Here is a tip for those that live in areas with Walgreens. Do their "Free After Rebate" stuff each month. In the past two years, I have accumulated $660 worth of free merchandise - you can track it on their website and they show you the past two years of rebates for you. (Mostly stuff like toothpastes, toothbrushes, deoderants, body washes, shampoos, etc.) I put this money into my HSBC account. It's a great way to stockpile stuff you are going to buy anyway and to set up an Emergency Fund.