Spending Ban.....take two. :S

*sigh*  I have yet ANOTHER confession to make.  Remember my spending ban that I imposed on myself back in February?  (deep breath, Devan. Coming clean makes it easier to recommit and do things right...)

I broke it. 

Within like 2 weeks.  I bought something for my house and then never looked back.  Ugh.  I'm a little bit disgusted with myself....but mostly disgusted with the amount of money I could have been saving.  Stupid.

But!  No time to beat myself up.  Time to hoist myself up by my bootstraps and restart my spending ban.  Here's my vow:

I, Devan, am on a complete, total and all-encompassing SPENDING (not just shopping) ban, beginning today, May 16th, 2013.  I will continue to be on a spending ban for three months, until August 16th, 2013.  I will be allowed to buy these things...and ONLY these things:

1.  Gas for my vehicle
2.  Groceries/food for my family.
3.  Items needed for my DIY Divas in Training projects.
4.  Summer clothes for Avery (needed.  not a joke.)
5.  Summer clothes for myself (badly needed.  still not a joke.)
6.  We, as a family, can go out to eat once every 2 weeks.
7.  I will allow myself a fast food Dr. Pepper one time a week.
8.  Things for Avery's birthday party (without going overboard, like I always tend to do).

That's it.  The end, that's all she wrote, nothing else (are you listening Devan??).

Not only am I on a spending ban, I am implementing a few other plans for my "Penny Pinching" lifestyle.

1.  I'm going to start "debt snowballing."  Check out some Dave Ramsey stuff.
2.  I'm going to put aside a set amount out of every paycheck for savings.
3.  I'm going to put aside a set amount out of every paycheck for my remodeled kitchen to be able to pay it in cash.
4.  I'm going to make a little extra money by:
-having another yard sale
-selling more paintings
-selling some of my bigger items on eBay

There's my plan.  Here's where you come in:  if you see me in town and I'm not buying one of these approved items, you have my permission to question me.  Seriously.  Ask me if I'm buying things off my "spending ban list" and guilt me into putting the stuff back.  If you see me at McDonald's, ask how many Dr. Peppers I've had that week.  If I tell you more than one, feel free to smack it out of my hand (or take it and put it in the trash...less mopping that way).  I'm terrible at self-discipline.  Breaking my spending ban is a testament to that.  Help me!

What Did I Buy Today?

Don't worry.  Despite my temporary weak moment in Target the other day, I'm still on my shopping ban and Penny Pinching Living journey.  Which is why I did break my ban for a teensy tiny second to buy this:

Buy yours from ModCloth

I know what you're saying...."You BOUGHT a book to tell you NOT to buy things??"  Hear me out.  Just like my Mom's Journal I picked up to keep track of my weekly menus, I like to have things written down, in person so I can look at them frequently.  Having something written down seems so much more tangible to me.

I keep track of our checkbook register, but I usually don't check it faithfully every single day.  I know a running total or how much I think we have in our account, but I don't worry about writing everything down while I'm spending it. I guess because the checking account is mine and Marty's both.  I can't keep track of everything he's spending as he's spending it.  But I can hold myself accountable.  I can keep this book and write down every single thing I've purchased that day.  Let me explain this book a little further....

When you first open the book, there's two pages:  on one, you write down your checking and savings totals. And if that isn't depressing enough, then you have slots to write down all your debts:  credit cards, mortgage, utilities, phone, TV, Internet, travel expenses, loans...*sigh*  It's nice to see everything in one place so I know what I have to conquer.  Of course I know all my debts and who they're to, but to actually see the entire totals written down all in one place is a scary thing.  It makes me want to knock all my debts out.

Then, the next pages are my favorite.  Goals.  One page is for small goals.  Easy things I want to accomplish quickly.

This is the spot for my goal to stop eating out more than twice a week (that includes getting a McDonald's Dr. Pepper).  Save money for a rug for our living room.  Save money for a couch.  Little things.

Then there's the BIG goals.

Save money to build my dream home.  Pay off credit cards.  Pay off loans.  Become debt-free.  I have lots of goals.  But they're all just floating around in my head.  Writing them out makes them "real" to me.

The rest of the book is filled with pages to write down my expenses.  Who it was to, how much--and my favorite--enough room to write WHY I bought it.  I've talked about it before...I'm an impulse buyer.  I convince myself in the second that I NEED that item.  I can't live without it and it will enhance my life in one way or other.  This book helps me write a reason for why I bought the item.  If I can't think of a reason, it goes back.  Plain and simple.  Or if the reason isn't convincing enough, it goes back.  The end.

I have a feeling this book and are going to be the best of friends.

Weakness Points

Recently, I made the commitment to pinch my pennies, go on a budget and start a shopping ban once again.  I thought the first step I should take is to identify all of those places that I fall prey to spending more money (I'm nervous this is going to be a long list....) so I know which places (and areas) I need to steer clear of when out in town.

1.  Wal-Mart

via

I touched on this yesterday, but I'm terrible about making a grocery run and buying a bunch of crap I don't need.  I'm the poster child for effective advertising.  If it promises to make my life easier, more organized, simpler or just looks pretty in the package, I'm probably going to be tempted to buy it.  Thanks to some really great readers, I've gotten some great suggestions on where to shop for groceries once we move back to Etown.  Now, I need a lesson in couponing.  I don't want to be an extreme couponer, by any means, but I always seem to find the coupons that are "Buy 6, get 1 free."  Well, I don't need 6.  I'll barely use the one that I have to buy.  I need to know where to find good, worthwhile coupons that are going to save me money on the things I need without making me buy 80 of them to get a discount. 

2.  Target

via

Oh Target.  How I could talk for hours about your Clearance section and clean stores and Bullseye logo that suck me in.  Your accessories, your clothing, your shoes, your home section.  I love it all.  And that's why I won't be seeing you for 90 days.  At all.  I just can't.  I don't have that much willpower.  But please know that I will miss you very much....even though my bank account won't.

3.  Organizational aisles

I'm an organized nerd.  I love planners, binders, bins, shelves, containers, anything that makes my life even halfway organized. I will buy planners just because I like the way they're laid out....even though I already have a planner for 2013.  I'll buy stackable containers to store office supplies...even though I already have an organizational system in place in my home office.  Therefore, I must stay away from Office Depot, Staples, Michaels and all organizational and home supply aisles in any store I go in.

4.  Pier One, Kirklands, TJ Maxx, etc.

We're moving.  We're getting a new home.  A blank canvas.  That's just begging to be decorated exactly how I want it to be.  That I'm dying to make look exactly like all the pins I've been faithfully pinning on Pinterest.  But I can't.  That would be EXPENSIVE.  Instead, I'm not going to unpack all of the old stuff that I didn't like about our current house.  I'm going to work on my house a tiny little bit at a time.  It may take 5  years, but it would finally be how I wanted it.  I'm horrible about buying little knickknacky clearance things if I think it looks cute.  As a result, my house looks.....jumbled.  Not pulled together.  Not how I want it.  Stay away from all home goods stores, Devan.

5.  Avery clothing

Ugh.  Little girl's clothing.  I buy it like crazy...even when my child doesn't need it.  I buy the cutest dress, the cutest shoes, the cutest shirt.  As a result, she has a pair of shoes that only match two shirts in her entire wardrobe, shirts that don't match any pants and dresses for the wrong season.  I'm going to plan ahead when it comes to shopping for Avery.  Before buying that adorable shirt, make sure it's practical and that she can wear it more than just once.  I'm going to allow myself to buy Avery clothes during my shopping ban, but only on a limited basis and only if she truly needs it.

6.  Clearance sections

Do I need to say more?  Totally off-limits.


That's it.  It's easier for me to spend less when I can identify my weaknesses and know exactly what I need to stay away from.

What's your shopping weakness??

Acting My Wage.

This past summer, I embarked on a personal finance journey that was really successful for me and for my bank account.  I think it's time to dredge it out of the archives....with some slight changes.
Introducing:  Penny Pinching Summer LIVING!

I'm bringing it back y'all!  It's time to start, as Dave Ramsey would say, "acting my wage."  Marty and I have had a pretty significant life change happen to us in the last couple months.  I eluded to it a couple of posts ago, but I think it's finally safe to say:  we're moving!  We're finally moving back home to Etown!  I'll go into more detail later, but we're leaving our little starter home for a bigger  home, more suited for our family and closer to the ones we love.  But with a new, bigger home comes new, bigger expenses.  Bigger utility bills.  Bigger problems.  Bigger upgrades and work I want done to make the house the one of my dreams.  And Marty and I can afford all this (obviously, or we wouldn't be moving in the first place), but I don't want to get to the point where we're scraping together our pennies and dimes because we've strapped ourselves down with a bigger mortgage.  So I'm taking the first step to discipline myself.  I don't have to.  I WANT to.  I'm the world's worst about buying crap I don't need.  I go to the grocery and I end up with probably $30 of stuff that wasn't on the list, I just felt like I needed it.  I go into a store and end up buying myself two shirts off the clearance rack because I felt like it was a deal I couldn't pass up.  I don't spend money with my head.  I don't logically think about what I should or shouldn't be buying.  I shop with my emotions...the worst kind.  I impulsively buy things, get them home and then later feel guilty about not saving the money for something more important.  I'm HORRIBLE about going out to eat.  Getting a Coke in the mornings.  Grabbing myself some breakfast.  Hitting the drive through for lunch because I was too lazy to get up early and make myself a lunch.  Well, no more.  Not only am I resurrecting the "Penny Pinching" idea, I'm going to put myself back on a shopping ban.  I did it a couple of years ago, and I was successful.  But I limited myself to not buying anything for myself--meaning new clothing, shoes, a pair of earrings.  I'm taking that a step further.  I buy NOTHING.  For 90 days.  Unless it's a necessity.  I spend absolutely no money except on groceries, necessities for the new house and necessities for Avery.  That's it.  No more little knickknacks at Kirklands or cute little home items at Target.  No more shoes from the clearance rack or craft items that I don't need.  I am going to start crafting and selling again when we get moved into our new house to make myself a little extra "cushion" money (a.k.a. I'm saving to treat myself to a new couch!), but if it's not a necessity for the specific craft I'm making, I won't buy it.  Now, here's where you come in.  Hold me accountable.  Ask how my shopping ban is going (and then be a shoulder to cry on when I tell you about an adorable purse I had to pass up).  Tell me about great deals and how to save money at the grocery (where I fail miserably at saving money).  Tell me where I can get good discounted clothing or deals on Avery things.  Let's make this a group thingy!  You share deals and penny pinching tips with me, and I'll do the same for you (here's my first--start by making  your own laundry detergent!).  And hopefully later, we'll both be in excellent financial shape and be able to brag about being debt free (hey, I dream big, okay?).
I'll leave you with a couple of Dave Ramsey quotes that are going to be my motivation for the next 90 days.

via

No, shoes.  I don't need you.  No, unnecessary Walmart crap.  I don't need you.  No, Marty.  We don't need to go out to eat tonight. Let me make dinner tonight.

Printing this off and putting it in my wallet.  Right by my debit card.

Goodbye Michaels and Target.  I'll see you in 90 days.

It All Comes Out in the Wash (Detergent Update!)

The blog post I get the most questions about in real life, hands down, is the question about my homemade laundry detergent.  Do you remember that?  Let me refresh your memory (a.k.a. click here. It'll take you to the original post).  I thought I would talk a little bit about it in case you were curious!

I made my laundry detergent back in JUNE.  I just ran out last month.  That's SIX MONTHS of not buying laundry detergent.  Absolutely reedonkulous.  It was time to make some more, so I thought I would do a little tweaking to the original recipe. 

I'll start by saying that Marty didn't love the homemade detergent.  Almost from the moment I made it, he turned his nose up.  I guess because it's not a trusted brand or well-renowned for it's cleaning ability...I don't know.  Whatever the reason, he wasn't really wanting to give the 1950s detergent a chance at all ( but that didn't stop me from using it *cheesy grin*).  I figured out later that Marty likes really fresh clothes that have a distinct "just washed" smell.  That's probably one of the few negatives about this detergent.  It doesn't have much of a smell--which doesn't bother me.  I don't have to walk around every day smelling like a fabric softener sheet, but apparently my husband does, so I wanted to fix that with this round of detergent.

Recap:  here's the "recipe" to make your own homemade laundry detergent:

1 box (76 oz) 20 Mule Team Borax

1 box (55 oz) Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

3 bars of soap**

**In my original round of making detergent, I used plain, ole Ivory soap.  This time, I went for the actual laundry soap...Fels Naptha (you can also pick up Zote--another laundry soap brand).  Heads up, if you go this route?  This stuff is strooooong scented.  Like make your house smell like this soap for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT strong.  

So, let's make the detergent.  Dump the Borax and Washing Soda into your chosen container.  I've been using a cute red beverage tub I found on clearance at Target.  

Then, grate all three bars of soap into the mix with a cheese grater.  Looks just like grated cheese.  A little weird.

Now, one more change from the original batch I made.  To make the detergent and the laundry smell cleaner, I added a bottle of Purex Crystals.  

I picked the Fresh Spring Waters scent, just because I didn't think the hubs would appreciate the Lavender smelling clothing.   

So far, I like this version detergent better.  It smells clean and I think the Purex Crystals add to the cleaning power.  And....hubs hasn't complained.  Score. 

Last time, I compared my savings in making my own detergent vs buying a bottle of Tide or other brand name.  Since I added the Purex Crystals and spent a little more on the Fels Naptha, I would say I spent around $13 on this batch.  Since there are more ingredients, there's more detergent to go around (175. oz worth)  Here's the math: 

Cost of detergent/amount of detergent (tbsp)=Cost per load of laundry

There are 175.5 oz in this batch.  1 oz=2 tbsp.  So, 351 tbsp. of laundry.

$13/351 tbsp= 4 cents a load

I use 2 tbsp in each load of laundry, so it costs me 8 cents a load.

Yep.  Totally still worth it. 

What kind of products do you make yourself and save money?  Share!! 

Organize One Thing meets Penny Pinching

This post is going to be pulling double duty today!  It's a "Organize One Thing Wednesday" meets "Penny Pinching Summer" kind of post (yes, I know summer is almost over, but you can learn financial tips any time of the year). 

I am a FREAK when it comes to organizing my checkbook.  I don't see how people balance their checkbooks only once a month when their bank statement comes in the mail.  I'm signed up for online banking and I check my account and balance my checkbook EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.  I need to know how much is in my account every day...down to the penny.  To further cement my OCD status when it comes to my checkbook, I color code everything that's written down.  Yep.  Color coded.

Breakdown:

Green is bills.  Medical, credit cards, house payments, utilities, etc.  This is the stuff that has to be paid, before anything else.  On payday, I sit down and make sure all the greens are taken care of first.

Orange is gas purchases.  Since we live in Bardstown and I'm driving to Etown, I like to easily see how much I'm spending per month in gas.  Makes budgeting so much easier.

Pink is deposits.  Paychecks, cash deposits, etc.  Helps me be able to add up what's coming in.

Blue is necessities.  Grocery trips, medicines, clothes for Avery, clothes for me or Marty (that are needed, not just a splurge), etc. 

Yellow is my least favorite.  It's unnecessary purchases.  Trips through the drive through, that cute pair of shoes I wanted, but didn't need.  Those kinds of things.  It's more of a motivator when I look in my checkbook and see 5 yellow highlighted purchases.  I feel guilty for throwing that much money away and vow to do better. 

I know, I know.  I'm OCD.  At least I'm admitting it, right?  It sure makes me feel better and makes balancing the checkbook and making my budget so much easier.....and more colorful. :)

OOTW--bills, bills, bills!

I love Wednesdays.  It's quickly becoming one of my favorite days of the week....because it's an excuse to look around my house, find what needs organizing and do it! 

This week, I'm tackling bills.  It's so easy for bills to get piled up or pushed aside and forgotten about until that dreaded "Payment Overdue" statement comes in the mail....or worse, when you notice a late fee tacked on to next month's bill.  When I was first on my own and had just a few bills to handle,  I was so overwhelmed.  How can you keep up with all of these due dates and amounts due and which bill to pay when??  And that was just the basic bills of a college student!  Then I grew up, got married, bought a house and found out what it REALLY meant to be in debt and have bills.  Marty and I have recently split accounts and bills for us each to handle.  It was a great way to keep up both accountable for where our money was going and it cut down on unnecessary "You spent HOW much??" kind of fights.   I thought I had it under control....until this month.  Marty, by the grace of God, has found a new job.  A new job that's going to bring a bigger paycheck (wahoo!).  But a bigger paycheck brings more opportunity for wasteful spending and little penny pinching.  So, to make a long story short, we're joining accounts again, under the stipulation that I am in charge of the bills.  Insert super organizational skills here!  To keep all of the bills, due dates and payments under control, I have corralled all of the monthly statements in this gorgeous binder:

Call me old-fashioned or not being earth-friendly, but I like having a paper statement in my hand every month that tells me exactly how much I owe and gives me the details of my charges.  Yes, I know I can go online and view all that information, but something about holding a physical piece of paper in my hands gives me a sense of satisfaction.  I have all of the statements separated by dividers and labels so I know where each bill is whenever I need to refer back to it. 

Now, this is my favorite part.  I made up a printable bill organizing checklist, so I can view all of our monthly expenses at once. 

I'm a visual person.  I won't believe that it's done until I see it written down and checked off.  I guess I'm a little OCD. 

Not only do I have the list of bills, but I also made a pretty list of when to pay which bills.  You see, when Marty starts this new job, our paychecks are going to be scattered throughout the entire month.  To keep me from paying too many bills out of one single paycheck, I have them scattered so we still have spending/saving money leftover.  This printable shows me EXACTLY when to pay which bill.  Super daggone helpful. 

P.S.  Both of these printables are free for you to take!  Print them off, make your own binder and revel in your organization!


Bills to Pay FREE printable! 

eBay, anyone?

Are you guys getting tired of hearing about saving money?  Good, because I'm not finished.  One of the biggest ways to get money back into your account is to take a good long look around your house and get rid of those things that you don't really need.  Idea:

On January 1, turn all of your hangers in your closet around backwards.  Every time you take something out and actually WEAR it (I'm guilty of taking it out, putting it on, changing my mind and putting it back), then flip the hanger around the right way.  In 6 months, get rid of any item that's still hanging backwards.  You can have a yard sale if you're wanting to make a little extra cash.  I think this is going to be on my mid-year resolution...I don't want to wait until next January! 

I think we all have that one item in our house that we regret buying.  That we know we spent too much on, that we didn't really need, that we wish we had the money back on it every time we see it.  My item was a Dooney & Bourke Disney sketch purse.  I saw a girl at a UK basketball game with an adorable clutch with Mickey ears and balloons all over it.  Had. To. Have. It.  Literally, the next day, I went on the Disney Store's website and located them.  You can see the entire Dooney & Bourke Disney collection here.  I wanted one so badly.  Until I saw the price.  I was not going to spend that much money on a purse.  It was absurd.  So I put the idea out of my mind....for a little while.  Until Christmas came along and my dad gave each of us a cash gift.  Enough cash to buy my little purse.  Instead of being a smart, financially saavy little girl and saving my money, I bought the purse.  I was so excited, until it came in the mail.  And it was a lot smaller than I was expecting.  I was disappointed and, more than that, I felt guilty.  Literally, every time I saw the purse sitting in the back of my closet, my stomach turned.  I had to bury it in the back of my closet because I became nauseous every time I caught sight of it.  Terrible, I know.  But I didn't want to give it away or sell it in a yard sale because I'd paid so much for it!  So it sat in the back of my closet, unloved and unused.  When I began my Penny Pinching quest, I started to go through my closet in preparation for our family yard sale.  That's when I came across the purse again.  Instead of putting it in with the yard sale junk, I discovered eBay.  I've always been really hesitant whenever eBay was involved.  Auctions make me a little bit panicky.  I don't like bidding up until the last minute on something that I really want.  So I've decided to take advantage of all eBay has to offer, not as a buyer, but as a seller.  Here she is!

You can buy this item HERE

 Cross your fingers that it sells!! Because I really hate feeling nauseous and being intimidated by a purse.

Update: in less than 24 hours, I've got a bidder! I'm guaranteed at least $95 back on this baby! What on earth was I afraid of??

1950s housewife, here I come.

It's June 14th and I'm continuing my "Penny Pinching Summer" in my quest to save and be less stressed about every aspect of my life where money and spending are concerned.  So far, I've been doing well by saving money at the grocery through coupons and store-brand shopping.  I've been keeping more green in my wallet by passing up the clothing stores for myself and Avery and only picking up things that are needed in our wardrobes.  I eat out less and cook at home more.  I bought pretty much all of the gifts for Avery's birthday using a gift card that I got to the Disney Store. 

Now, I'm looking to save money around the house.  The obvious answer led me right to my laundry room.  I know I can't be the only one who has gawked at the price of laundry detergent lately.  It's RIDICULOUS.  I buy Tide Coldwater because, obviously, I wash everything in cold water.  I also buy Dreft because Avery had eczema pretty bad as a newborn, so I didn't want anything to irritate her already delicate skin.  At ten months old, the eczema has all but disappeared and I'm ready to stop spending so much on detergent.  At Wal-Mart, the Tide Coldwater is around $12 for 100 ounces.  The Tide website says that you can get 52 loads out of a 100 oz.  So I'll base my numbers around that estimate, although I probably get less loads out of a bottle because I'm super guilty of not measuring out my detergent.  Pour some in the cap, dump in the wash, close the lid.  Anyway, back to the detergent.  If you are a good little laundry-doer and get the 52 loads out of a container, you're spending 23 cents a load.  I hear you now, Devan it's only 23 cents.  What on earth can you buy with 23 cents??  Just wait.  If you also count the Dreft, which is about $16, at 52 loads, I'm spending 30 whopping cents a load on baby clothes.  Yeah, that's gotta stop.
Once I decided that I wanted to go all pioneer woman and make my own detergent, I started looking around on Pinterest (of course) for the perfect detergent "recipe."  I was surprised by the variety of homemade detergents.  Some people put scented oil in theirs to give their laundry a fresh, clean scent.  Others put Oxi Clean in to make sure their whites sparkled.  Still others added baking soda to give their laundry that extra "oomph."  Despite all the variations, three ingredients remained consistent in all the recipes--Borax, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and bar soap.  Most used a fancy type of washing soap like Fels-Naptha or Zote, but I decided that I would stick with good old, time trusted Ivory soap.  I decided to stick with the basic 3 ingredients for now and leave the recipe open to change if I decided it needed a little something more.

Count 'em...just THREE ingredients

After the ingredients were purchased, it was time to assemble.  I bought a small plastic container at Wal-Mart that I knew would fit in my laundry room and would hold a large amount of detergent if I decided to make it in bulk.  Making this detergent couldn't be easier.  Three steps.....ready?  Pour the entire boxes of Borax and Super Washing Soda into your container. 

After the two powders are poured, take a cheese grater and grate 3 bars of soap into the mix.  If you have a food processer, you can use that....I'm not fancy and had to use a basic hand grater.  The result will look like a bunch of grated Mozzarella cheese.  It's not.  Don't eat it. :)  Another plus to making this detergent?  Your arm gets a good workout while grating. 

Don't be fooled...it's soap.

Alright.  Soap is grated, powders are poured.  Now, stick your hand in and mix it all together.  This was the hardest part for me because I'm a texture freak and this was weird.  I mixed quickly and ran to the sink to wash off.  And I'm D-O-N-E, done.  

Detergent!

Now for the savings.  Prepare to be stunned.  Earlier I mentioned that I was spending 23 cents for every load of mine and Marty's clothing and 30 cents on Avery's.  On my three ingredients, I spent $7.86.  Most of the blogs I read of ladies making their own detergent call for either one or two heaping tablespoons of detergent in your washer.  Here comes a little math...stay with me....the Borax comes in a 76 oz box, the Washing Soda is 55 oz and the three bars of soap were a total of 9.5 oz=140.5 ounces of detergent.  The conversion from ounces to tablespoons is 1 oz=2 tablespoons, so I have approximately 281 tablespoons of detergent.  If I put just ONE tablespoon per load of laundry, I would be able to do 281 loads.  Ready?  $7.88/281= 3 CENTS A LOAD.  Even if I use two tablespoons per load, I'm spending about 6 cents.  Are. You. Kidding. Me??  Basically, every time I walk to my washing machine and do a load of laundry, I'm saving myself 50 cents.  On 281 loads of laundry, I'm keeping $140.50 for myself to spend on something else.  Take a moment to soak that in.  Can we say "No Brainer??" 

Of course I had to make the container pretty.  I'm a self-diagnosed over decorator.

Note:  Most articles I read mentioned that you might have some soapy build-up from this type of detergent.  It's an easy fix....dump a cup of vinegar in your washing machine and run an empty load to keep your drum clean and soap-free.  Some places also mentioned using 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the dryer as a fabric softner to remove soapy residue from clothing.  I'll be interested to see how my detergent smells and how well it cleans my clothing.  I'll keep you guys updated on that.  But for now, 20 cents of savings is worth trying my homemade detergent!  Next, I'm working on finding ways to save on fabric softner.  Stay tuned for more Penny Pinching tips around the home!

Sources:  Sugar Pie Farmhouse  Yellow Brick Home  How Does She?

Menu! Printables! Supper Clubbing!

As promised, this week's "Super Messy Supper Club" menu:

Monday-- Rotel Chicken Skillet
Tuesday-- Ranch Chicken  (Combine 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes. 3/4 cup parmesan cheese. 1 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix. Dip 8 chicken halves in melted butter and then roll in cornflake mix. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Bake @ 350 for 45 min)
Wednesday-- Forgotten Chicken                                       
Thursday-- Baked Fajitas

Friday-Sunday, I'll be in Gatlinburg for my cousin's bachelorette party, so Marty and Avery are on their own. :)

And since we know that you should menu plan before you go shopping for all your dinner ingredients, I've made up your very own "Super Messy Supper Club" menu and grocery list planner for you to save to your computer and print off any time you make your weekly menu and shop accordingly.  Happy menu planning. :)

My penny pinching brag of the week.

Well, actually its a couple of brags on myself.  This week, I paid off two of my medical bills and freeing up $125 from my paycheck to go towards saving and debt reduction.  Can I get a "woot woot?"  Tonight, I went to the grocery.  Before my penny pinching summer began, it was not unheard of for me to spend $200+ at the grocery. That $200 was a huge hit to my bank account, leaving little money for all the other necessities (and sometimes frivolous purchases) I bought.  Well, times have changed and I'm fully embracing the penny pinching lifestyle.  Tonight, I had to embark on a marathon shopping spree.  You know the kind--when your kitchen has nothing but butter, Ritz crackers and spaghetti noodles.  Spending over $200 was no longer an option for me.  So I planned.  I planned my meals for the week (menu to be posted asap) and made my grocery list.  I clipped coupons and figured out which were going to expire soonest and what items I was really going to need in the near future (because whats the point of buying ketchup for 50¢ less when you have two economy size bottles at home?). When making out my list, I now write "coupons" by the item that I'm buying that has a corresponding coupon.  Too many times, I would have the coupon clipped and with me, and somewhere in the chaos that is grocery shopping and paying (especially at Wal-Mart), I would forget that I even had it.  Then the coupon would expire.  Stupid, I know.  I arrived at the grocery, list in hand and I shopped.  In my reckless spending days, I only bought name-brand food.  I guess I thought that the off-brand would taste horrible and wasn't worth the savings.  Ridiulous.  I still believe that some items are worth the splurge and taste different.  But whats the point of paying $3 more for a can of spaghetti sauce that tastes exactly the same as the store brand?  So, cart overflowing with off-brand items and coupons in hand, I made my way to the check-out.  Before going in, I gave myself a $150 budget.  My total tonight, if you take away a $14 sundress I purchased for myself for tomorrow's church service, was $152.  Yayyyyy!  Don't worry, I'm patting myself on the back for you.  I realize that some of you serious grocery shoppers out there are probably balking at a $166 grocery bill.  But for two weeks worth of food for Marty and I and a completely stocked baby food cabinet and wipes,  Maybe I can slowly whittle off $10 here and $20 there to get my total lower, but for someone that was used to spending $180-$230 at the grocery, I'm pretty dang proud.

Penny Pinching Tips....from a pro.

I feel like an official blogger now...I've asked a guest poster to give you some tips on how to save some money.  Lucky for you, she gets paid to tell people how to save money as the Nelson County FCS agent....and she's my sister!  We are nothing alike--Dayna is a saver, I'm a spender.  Dayna is outgoing, I'm super shy.  Dayna is modern and color, I'm vintage and black and white.  Despite all this, the boys in our family can't tell us apart when they're learning names.  I'm "black hair," she's "red hair."  So, without further ado, Red Hair and her "Penny Pinching" tips.

Hey Penny Pinchers!

I hope that Devan has been giving you some helpful tips this summer about how she saves money and that you’ve been able to apply them to your own life. Dev asked me to “guest post” on her blog because her “Penny Pinching Summer” idea is exactly what I do in my job. I am the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at the Nelson County Extension Office. (Every county has an extension office and most have an FCS agent- check out your county office here: www.ca.uky.edu/county). Basically, it’s my job to deliver UK information to the community about financial management, nutrition, food preservation, food safety, child development and much more. It’s kind of hard to explain to people but I love it.

Fortunately for you, the information I give out about financial management is all research based and backed by the one and only University of Kentucky. So, I figured I’d compile all of my favorite money saving tips into one and then give you the links to a few publications on saving money.
First: Couponing 101
Couponing 101 is just a lesson for basic coupon etiquette and use for those individuals who want to use coupons to save a little dough. Basically, it’s for those smart folks who take the free money stores send out in the paper every week.
When couponing, don’t make your list around the coupons. Make your grocery list, then browse the coupons to see if you can use any. If you hunt through coupons first you’ll end up buying things you don’t need just because you have a coupon for it, which ultimately, just cost you more money.
When you coupon, sort them out in some way that makes sense to you. Some people like to separate into food and non-food, some put them in order of the grocery store aisles, and others paper clip the ones they know they’re going to use onto their list. Regardless of how you do it, find a way that works best for you. It may take you a few tries but you’ll figure something out.
The first rule of couponing is this: only try to use the coupons for what they are intended. If it says buy three, save $3.00, no you may not buy one and save $1.00. Buy what it says you need to buy for the coupon to be honored.
Second, don’t try to use expired coupons. They have an expiration date on them for a reason. If you have some recently expired coupons, visit www.coupsfortroops.com to find an address to someone you can send them to who will send them overseas to our military families who have access to commissaries. They can use them up to 6 months expired there. (only manufacturer’s coupons!)
Last, don’t get angry at the cashier if one of your coupons doesn’t work. First, make sure you bought the correct item and amount (don’t try to buy a 16 oz Coke and use a coupon for a 20 oz). Then, if you have the correct items and it still won’t scan, check the expiration date and check that it isn’t a coupon for another store. Using a Dollar General coupon at Kroger aint gonna fly. If all of this is correct, calmly ask for the manager. No big deal.
I think couponing is a wonderful thing- I honestly see coupons as free money. If you have to buy toilet paper and it would have cost you 5.89 without a coupon, but you have a coupon for .40 cents off, imagine that you paid your normal 5.89 and they just handed you back .40 cents. For free. It helps.
I just skimmed the very basics of this publication. Check it out to learn about sale cycles (typically 12 weeks) and more. It’s worth the read: http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/FCS/FACTSHTS/FRM-AP-087.pdf
Next, we have these awesome “Add Up the Savings” cards. They’re quick tips to saving money different ways. Let me re-cap for you:
Add Up the Savings When Eating Out: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_When_eating_out.pdf
1. The obvious one- try to limit the number of times you go out to eat.
2. Don’t order super size meals. They only add calories and money. Order smaller, save money.
3. Drink water. Sodas shouldn’t cost 2+ dollars but they usually do. So again, save money, save calories. If you don’t like the taste of water, take a flavor packet into the restaurant with you.
4. Bring your lunch to work. Sometimes this isn’t feasible if we’re on the road or we have a lunch meeting, but when possible, you can save up to $1,000 a year. And I know there aren’t too many people out there who couldn’t use an extra $1,000 a year. Lunches is one of the fastest ways we blow our money. Spend an extra ten minutes at night or in the morning to pack yourself one, or better yet, eat your leftovers from the night before.
5. Eat earlier in the day when you’re going out for dinner. Many places up the prices of their meals later in the evening. Get there while they’re still offering the early prices.
6. Order off the lunch menu if you go during the day. They’re usually smaller portions and cost less, again saving money and calories (anyone else see a theme here?)
7. Avoid vending machines or stopping at a gas station for snacks. They’re usually packed with fat and cost more than they should. Keep a drawer of healthy snacks in your office or at home.
Add Up the Savings On Clothing: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_on_clothing.pdf
1. Avoid fads that are probably going to be unfashionable next season. Those flamingo pants may be cool today, but they probably won’t be in a month, and you just dropped $50 for something you can only wear a few times. Purchase classic pieces that you’ll be able to re-wear season after season.
2. Don’t buy lots of bright colors. These can usually only be worn in spring. Darker colors can be worn all year.
3. Follow care instructions when washing and drying your clothes. Meaning, if it says dry clean only- dry clean it. Don’t risk tearing it up, then you’ll just have to go buy another one. (Personal opinion: don’t buy things that are dry clean only in the first place!)
4. Buy solid colored pieces so you can mix and match and re-wear more often without people noticing. If you start to show up in that start studded pink zebra shirt more than once a month, people will talk.
5. Use accessories at a minimum. Yes, they are nice and can add to an outfit, but they also cost quite a bit of money. Find classic earrings you can wear with anything and a good watch and bracelet or necklace. Use extravagant accessories for special occasions.
6. Shop at consignments stores. Yes, I said it and I mean it. Consignments stores can offer you the same thing a store offers you for a much cheaper price. Who cares that someone wore it a few times already? It’s half the price and technically, people have tried on the clothes in the store, so they’ve been worn too.
7. Don’t buy clothes you don’t need. If you already have a black shirt in good condition, don’t buy another one.
8. Learn how to sew to make minor repairs. (You can all come to my beginner’s sewing class at the Nelson County Extension Office if you need to learn. July 25th at 5:30 p.m. and it only costs $5.00)
There are also “Add Up The Savings” cards when shopping for food, at home, on energy, and on food preparation. See those here:
At Home: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
On Food Preparation: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
When Shopping For Food: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
On Energy: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_on_energy.pdf
My last money saving tid-bit is this: host a swap party! Get some snacks, call up your girls and get together for a night of fun! Have everyone bring their purses, shoes, clothes, books, whatever that are in good condition, lay them out and swap! Then, have the party the next month (or rotate it to someone else’s house) and do it again! Bring the same items (friend A may have borrowed friend B’s purse that you really wanted to get) and/or bring some new things! You’ll always have new things without spending a dime! Plus you get girl time!
Basically, just be aware of how much you’re spending and what you’re spending your money on. I recently went through my bank statements and saw that I had bought 12 McDonalds Sweet Teas in one month. TWELVE. I justified it to myself each time that it was only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR! Who can pass up a large delicious sweet tea when it’s so cheap? Well I can when I figure out I’d spent twelve dollars over the course of the month.  Needless to say, I’ve banned myself. I grab a cup and fill it up with water instead. No money, no calories. I really don’t see a down side to it!
I hope you all find this helpful, I know it was long but I hope it was worth it! And please don’t hesitate to call me (our office number is 502-348-9204), email me (dayna.parrett@uky.edu) , or check out my work blog (www.nelsonfcs.wordpress.com)  if you want more information! I also try to tweet financial tips every now and then (@NelsonCountyFCS).  You’re also welcome to call the FCS agent in your own county. That’s what we’re here for!
Additional publications you might find interesting:
How To Keep Money In Your Pocket: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/fcs5/fcs5102/fcs5102.pdf
Supermarket Savvy: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/FRM-RHF-131.pdf
The Power of Ten: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/frm-ssb-76.pdf
There are tons more! Visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/index.php?p=206 to see all of the financial management publications. From estate planning, to retirement planning, to which bread machine to buy, we’ve got you covered.

Happy Penny Pinching! :)

Ready, set, save.

It's time for me to begin my "penny pinching" summer.  I know that saving money is easier said that done.  It's nice to say that you're going to tighten your belt and put more money back in savings, but when you're out in the real world and are faced with problems (or, in my case, the clearance section at Target), reality is a lot different that what you had planned.  For my sake, and for any of you that are interested, I'm going to give myself a set of rules to follow during this budget-conscious summer.  I'm a rule-follower.  If I tell myself I'm going to do something, but don't set a schedule or guidelines, more than likely it's not going to happen.  Must be the inner OCD in me.  So, here are my rules and guidelines to pinching the pennies and living a better life.

1.   Figure out where your money is going.
        I got a head start on this step last night.  I sat down and went over my last 4 months of bank statements to figure out where the heck all my money is going.  It made my stomach turn.  I keep a checkbook register faithfully.  I check my register against my online banking totals daily.  I highlight all of my expenses in different colors...green for checks, blue for transfers, pink for deposits, yellow for debits, orange for cash withdrawls (again, OCD.  Don't judge).  But until I actually sat down and totaled up how much I spent per month on food, gas, groceries and the like, I had no idea how much of my money was leaving my account.  Particularly on eating out.  I wish we could have all the money back that we have spent in restaurants.  And I'm not even talking nice dinners out where we spend $30 a dinner.  No, no...if only it were that easy!  It's the McDonald's trips and the gas station Dr. Peppers that add up very quickly.  Who notices $2 leaving here and $4 leaving there?  You don't....until you sit down and add everything up.  It'll shock you.

2.  Budget.
       Now that I know how much I'm spending on things I need and things I don't, I can set a budget.  Marty and I took a Dave Ramsey course as newlyweds.  It was informative, smart and a great plan for us starting out.  But we're both guilty of being lazy when it comes to budgeting.  So we didn't.  I had an idea of how much I wanted to spend at the grocery or on clothing for the month, but I was always off.  To be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to it.  No more.  I'm setting an entire budget for myself.  I know exactly how much I take in a month, how much I take out for bills, and how much I have left.   I've set myself a strict budget on groceries.  Gas, however, is a different story.  Driving back and forth to Bardstown every day adds up.  And with these crazy gas prices, it's hard to judge how much I should be spending or how much I should allow myself to spend, because it's not like I can go without gas in my car for a week (unfortunately).  If anyone knows any tips on budgeting or saving at the pump, I'm all ears.

3.  Allow myself some room.
         I have my basics that I'm going to spend money on.  Groceries, gas, church tithe and bills.  That being said, I will allow myself a budget to spend money on the following things:

• One craft project a month.  I will go crazy if I can't craft or do some home improvement projects.  Nothing that costs over $50. 
• Clothing here and there that help me feel better about myself and help me build a better wardrobe. 
• Clothing for Avery as needed.  Don't get crazy.
• One breakfast and one lunch out to eat during a two week period.  I'm horribly guilty of forgetting my lunch or rushing out the door before breakfast and stopping at McDonald's or the gas station on my way to work or on lunch hour.  Pack my lunch, get up earlier to eat breakfast (or fix it the night before). 
• Two dinners out a month.  Marty and I love to eat out.  On payday or when we get a little extra cash, it goes towards dinner.  Now, I'm all about date nights out with my husband, but our current spending rate on dinners is ridiculous.  Two dinners a month. 

That's it.  Yes, I know emergencies come up and I have to run to Walgreens to get Avery some Benadryl or I have to get my oil changed.  I'm not naive.  If I save money and stop the unnecessary spending, I will have the money to cover these little emergencies. 

4.  Put the extra money towards debt reduction and a rainy day fund.
       Like the average American, we have a little bit of debt.  Nothing huge, by any means, but two car loans and a few store credit cards with fairly low balances.  If we pay the minimum amount due on these bills, it'll take years to pay them off.  With extra money that is being saved, I will put an allotted amount towards reducing our debt, starting with the smallest bills first.  I will also be putting a specific amount from each paycheck into an extra "rainy day" fund.  This will be for the big emergencies...the car needs a new battery, Avery needs a new (and stupid expensive) convertible car seat....so when we're in that kind of situation, we won't be borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and paying for it later.

5.  Sell the extra.
       If you're anything like me, you have a TON of stuff.  Stuff that you probably don't even use that often.  Solution?  Yard sales and eBay.  Last week, my mom and sisters and I had a yard sale in my neighborhood.  Despite low traffic, I made $46.  This week, we're moving the junk extra stuff to my sister's house where there's more car traffic and potentially more buyers.  For my bigger items, I'm resorting to eBay. 

6.  Take on a "part time job."
       As nice as a third income would be, a part time job or nightly job just isn't realistic when it comes to having a 9 month old.  So, I'm going to paint again.  It's an incredible stress reliever (and believe me, I need it) and it made me some money.  I'll paint at night when Avery's gone to bed.  I cannot wait.

My rules are in place and I can't wait to get started.  I'm excited about the money saving possibilities.  If you have any great money saving or budgeting tips, send them my way!  Let the Penny Pinching Summer begin!

Feeling the pinch

It's no secret that I would love to be able to blog full-time.  What would be more fun than doing series, craft projects and blogging all day....and get paid to do it??  Until that happens, I'm going to keep dreaming....and I'm going to start some of those series.  My post a few days ago addressed my unhappiness and discontent in several areas of my life.  A huge issue is moving back to Etown.  When Marty and I married, he worked in Bardstown and our house search in the Etown area wasn't turning up anything promising.  On a whim, we decided to check out houses in Bardstown.  Our price range in Etown was getting us older, fixer-upper homes that would have required quite a bit of money to get it up to par.  The same price range got us a brand-new, three bedroom home in Bardstown that was still in the process of being built.  At the time, the decision was a no-brainer.  Now, fast-forward three years, job changes and a new baby later, and we're spending a ton of money on gas schlepping back and forth to jobs and babysitters and appointments in Etown.  Frankly, it's exhausting.  Every day, I dream about getting back to the city that we both grew up in.  Part of those dreams include this perfect house plan I've found.  Perfect size, perfect layout, perfect, perfect, perfect.  Unfortunately, we don't have the funds available at the moment to make that home more than just a piece of paper.  So I've decided to do something about it.  I'm tired of spending money on things that are completely unneccessary.  I'm tired of talking about budgeting and never doing it.  I'm tired of watching money fly right out of my account after payday and not being completely sure how it all adds up or where it's all going.  Enough is enough.  That's when the "Penny Pinching Summer" series was born.  I will stop spending money on things that are unneccessary.  I will stop being lured into the clearance section in Target, forcing me to buy things I don't need.  I will start saving money at the grocery.  I will start finding ways to make a little extra money.  I'll share the tips that I find and that are successful for our family.  I hope you do the same.  If you know brillant ways to curb your spending or save more at the grocery, I would be more than happy to hear them all.  With this plan, hopefully our dream home will be more than just a dream....it'll be a reality soon.

Save Money, Live Better, I'm Trying!!

Maybe I'm being over-ambitious. Maybe I'm taking on too many resolutions at once. I've vowed to myself to slim down and get back to my pre-wedding weight. And, starting today, I'm adding another item to my to-do list. Save money. Marty and I have been taking a 13 week Dave Ramsey finance class to learn how to live on a budget, pay bills and build wealth. We're 6 weeks in and I've already learned valuable tips about how to live within our means and not overspend. If anyone is having trouble making ends meet or living paycheck to paycheck or just want to learn how to live more comfortably, I HIGHLY recommend the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University workshop. Absolutely worth the money. So here's my promise: I'm going to stick to the budget we are going to make for ourselves. I am going to cut out all fast food meals, drinks at the gas station and completely unnecessary purchases that I make everyday. Instead of going out to eat a couple of lunches a week, I'm hitting the grocery and stocking up on my favorite things to take for lunch. Instead of getting a Dr. Pepper from McDonald's on occassion, I'm going to buy cans and have them by my side. Yes, it's only a dollar here or a couple of bucks there, but those add up. I wish I had back all the money I've spent on meals out or impulse purchases. Things that I didn't need, but bought anyway. There's so many things that I want to do, but don't have the funds available to do them. So here's to building our wealth. Here's to raising enough money to someday be able to finish landscaping around our house. Here's to saving enough money to live comfortably and taking the chance of finding a job that I enjoy, no matter what the paycheck is, instead of working everyday to be able to pay bills. I encourage everyone to join in this pledge with me. Until you sit down and figure out exactly where your money goes, you're clueless as to how much you're really spending. Starting today, I'm saving money. Frugal doesn't sound like such a bad word after all....

Embarking on a shopping detox. Pray for me.

While reading my "What Would Audrey Do?" book, I had a mini-revelation. I am slighty materialistic. Audrey, according to many different testimonials, was very down-to-earth and extremely simplistic despite her movie star status and obvious glamour. Of course, she wore the name brand designers and always looked ridiculously stylish, but I wonder if she was a shopaholic. Let me start off by saying, I am not, in any way, a shopaholic. I do not go on shopping binges, spend more money than I make on clothing or shop several days a week. However, I do indulge in cute clothing on sale, ballet flats of any shape or color and all types of purses. But why? Why do I have 5 pairs of black ballet flats? Granted, they are all different--patent, square toed, decorated with a large flower--but still black. Why do I have a purse collection that is starting to hit the 50-60+ items range? Why on earth do I have garments hanging in my closet still sporting their department store tags?? Something in those articles of clothing spoke to me and suggested they'd make a good outfit, so why haven't they been worn? These questions led me to take action. Are you ready? ***takes deep breath*** I will be going on a 3 month, absolutley no clothing, shoes or purses of any kind NO shopping spree. I am going to go home and rotate my clothing. I am going to move lesser worn items up to the front and rediscover why I liked them in the first place. I am going to learn how to dress outfits up and make them different by using accessories. I am going to take those tags off my shirts and wear them and make people think I am wearing something new. Think of how great this will be for me. I will learn that I don't need new clothes whenever I see the large red CLEARANCE sign. My bank account (and my husband) will be so much happier. Instead of focusing on things for myself, I can focus on other people. At the end of the 3 months, I am hoping to feel renewed and good about myself, knowing that I resisted the urge to shop for myself. I'll keep you posted on my progress as a "fewer" materials girl. :)