Spend Less Saturday!

I actually received several great tips this week, which I am excited to share with you. Who knows what might spark an idea for a reader somewhere?

Paula over at Sweet Pea teaches school and says:
{When I'm off during the summer, I spend way more money than I do during the school year because I have time to shop. If I go to Target or Walmart, I'm going to buy a bunch of stuff that I didn't know that I needed. I save money during the school year because I rarely have time to go, or if I do go, I have ten minutes to get exactly what I need which doesn't give me time to look for anything extra. }

To some degree, having kids is helpful in this area. If I take both girls with me into Super Target, I know I might have 45 minutes max if I'm lucky, maybe an hour if God is feeling extra gracious. It's hard to browse and grab impulse buys off the rack when your three year old is dangling precariously off the back of the cart, and your one year old is choking because she shoved too many Goldfish crackers in her mouth at once. But if I leave the kids with T and shop by myself, that's asking for trouble. It's easy to just start pitching stuff in the cart when it's not full of children.

My friend, L, had fabulously frugal ideas that you can incorporate into your friendships:

{*potluck dinners, in versus of Girls' Nights Out

*coffee at a friend's house instead of Starbucks meetings

*meal planning rather than "buying-what-looks-good-the-moment" shopping trips

*bulk shopping with a gfriend at Costco: split the cost and the amounts

*redbox movies versus theater trips}

I loved all of those suggestions, L! I'm always complaining that we don't have any "couple friends" to do things with. This is mostly due to the fact that T works a LOT, and he is sort of reclusive when he gets home because he's so tired. But once he gets out, he always seems to enjoy himself. I'd love to start doing potluck dinners with friends. Maybe split the cost of a babysitter, and feed the kids beforehand so they can play while the adults converse? I recently started using RedBox for DVD rentals, and while you do have to wait for those movies, it's only $1 a night! Put that up against $18 movie tickets, plus the soda and candy you just have to have, and it's no contest. I think I'll save my movie tickets for the absolute must-see flicks!

My friend CK has the Sunday paper delivered solely for the coupons! She wrote:

{I get two Sunday papers delivered for the coupons. The past month (this current week included) the 'Burg Shoppers Food Warehouse has been tripling coupons up to 50 cents and doubling them up to $1.00. I go there just with my coupons, and save about 65% each time. Last Sunday I spent $17.50 on 21 items. Several items were free and others were just pennies. My husband is in the Air Force so I go to the commissary twice a month. I plan two week's worth of meals before hand and use coupons there as well. It takes a bit of time and planning, but they do save money.}

I clip coupons, but I forget to use them. Have got to be better about that!

My friend Mrs. TB, who runs our MOPPETS program at church (and she's E, S, H, and Emily's mom), really said it well. She reflected on some of the hard times she had when the girls were young and how they affect her now:
{I feel like I had many years of being poor to prepare me for this time! As unbelievable as it may seem, I know from experience that the following are not "necessities": trash service (just ask the girls about getting a chance to ride in the front seat to the dump and the crown from Burger King), the newspaper, anything other than basic cable, cellphones (except the prepaid kind), eating out, professional haircoloring, or a closet full of clothes.Now is the perfect time for sharing meals at home, girls beauty day where you help color each other's hair, sharing clothes and jewelry for that special event and sharing recipes that are good and healthy and inexpensive. It's not the time to be hoarders but sharers and watch how God multiplies what we have to offer. I've seen God do some of His greatest work in my life during the times I had no one to depend on except for Him. I doubt that this bump in the road in our economy has Him wringing His hands and wondering if He'll have to sell His cattle! Let's share how God as provides during these times to encourage each other and give Him praise.}

I was about shocked speechless when I read what Mrs. TB had to say. And you can ask T, it's pretty hard to render me incapable of speech! We can start here by sharing our thoughts and ideas, and then go from there! Hope you found some thrifty tips today!

Enjoy your weekend, and Happy Valentine's Day!