How We Make It Work, Dressing...

Ok, so I wasn't able to get that decorating post up in time... maybe Monday?  Anyway, anyone who's visited this blog for any length of time knows how much I LOVE Goodwill and I love fashion!  I would say that I definitely put thought and effort into my clothes-- I was raised to believe that it was important to look your best-- and to do so on a tight budget!  If you look back in my posts labeled Dressing or even my "What To Wear When Expecting" Pregnancy posts, you will see a plethora of my Goodwill and yardsale steals.  Turns out I'm not the only Southern gal who loves a good deal.  Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is doing a Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show today and I am linking up.  I was kindof bummed because this isn't my best Goodwill outfit, but I didn't have time to take another picture!  So here goes!

Shirt:  Anne Taylor via Goodwill $1

Sweater:  White House Black Market via Yardsale $1

Jeans: (not my fave :( ) JLo via Goodwill $1

Total Minus Shoes and Belt:  $3!

Shoes and belt purchased retail-- 6.50 for belt and around 7 or 8 for the shoes.  I love these strappy sandals, they remind me of the ones that Jennifer Grey wore on Dirty Dancing...  Anyway, as you can see, you DO NOT have to pay alot for nice clothes.  I love to buy a plain shirt and dress it up with a wide belt.  I turned my friend onto this, she was really feeling down about her recent weight gain and couldn't believe when I showed her what a wide belt can do for the waist line!  It really cinches it all in :)

Next in the series "How We Make It Work" will be hair and skin :)

Thanks to Jen for this opportunity to  link up!

How We Make It Work, Grocery Shopping...

Groceries are expensive!  This is always the area where we spend the most money.  I try to stay away from convenience meals, mainly because they are gross so Nathan won't eat them, but also because they can be expensive.  This month, I decided to buy a couple of "convenience foods" because Asher has the flu and I'll be doing a lot of babysitting once he gets better.  On days when I babysit, it's nice to have something easy to prepare or else we may be eating PB&J sandwiches!  I guess what I'm trying to say is that a convenient meal is better than eating out or no meal at all!

Practical Saver: I subscribe to an online newsletter that tells me all of the best deals in my area and how to couple coupons with the deals to get these items for free or for just a few cents.  This is a really good way to save money on food but it does require (at least for me!) a lot of time and preparation.  I mentioned before that I haven't been utilizing this service since I have felt overwhelmed with other responsibilities.  I'm thinking about starting back up this month just because it is so hard to miss out on those deals.  Hmmm... sanity or savings?  SAVINGS!  Haha!

Price Matching:  I almost always do price matching, at least for fruits and veggies.  I save an enormous amount of money this way, often getting blueberries, strawberries, and pineapples for .99, romaine lettuce for less than a buck, and apples for around .69 a lb.   I just grab my ads (usually 5 in all) circle the item on the ad, and write down than item and the price on a cheat sheet.  I am amazed at how much produce I can get for so little utilizing this method of spending.

The 99 Cent Store:  Lastly, I often shop at the 99 Cent Store-- not to be confused with the Dollar Tree!  The 99 Cent Store has buyouts-- items stores are getting rid of.  I get cookie dough (convenience, I know!), yogurt, and crackers for cheap!  Occasionally, I will buy the boys lunchables for a treat.  The lunchables I bought last time were a great deal considering that they were the large ones that included a drink, the meal, and a snack; these are normally twice the price I paid.  I also buy my flour tortillas and enchilada sauce from there.  You just never know what you will find at the 99 Cent Store!  I once found those Vita-balls-- the vitamin gumballs-- and bought up the entire shelf for my sister who's children will only take vitamins that are chewy and wrapped in sugar and food coloring.  Hey, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down-- right?

 

From the 99 Cent Store

(Athenos Yogurt was .25)

These are a few of the ways our family stretches our food budget.  So, we aren't the greatest at saving, but we aren't the most frivolous either-- we do what works for us :)  There are many more websites and blogs that know much more about this kind of thing than I do.  If you would like more information, leave me a comment and I'll send you a link to one of those websites.

How We Make It Work, Entertainment Part 2...

Club Sign Ups~  Another thing that Nathan and I utilize are e-clubs.  Chuck-E-Cheese has a great program for the kids.  They receive 20 free tokens on their birthday and on their half-birthdays.  My kids love this and so do I.  It's just enough tokens for them to stay busy for about an hour and then they can utilize the free toys such as the slide, dance camera, or watch the "band."  We also love Dave and Buster's e-club.  They frequently send both Nathan and I free $10 play cards.  With $20 in play cards, again, its enough for about an hour of play time (at which point I am more than ready for some quiet time!) 

Of course, all of the chain restaurants around here have their incentives for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  We don't tend to use these as we don't eat out very often.  However, one we do take advantage of is our Chick-fil-a.  It has provided us with free dinner on many occasions!  They often have all sorts of special days where food is free.  We signed up for the program where they text us promotions.  Money Saving Mom is constantly providing links to restaurants that are having special promotions-- many times these are fast food so we may or may not utilize these perks.

Culture Pass~  Our library offers Culture Passes to the local zoo and museums.  You have to arrive early to secure your pass, but these are worth 4 free tickets to the museum of your choice.  Of course the library also offers free movies, books, and story time for the kids.  Hooray for the blessing of public libraries!

Museum~ Many museums offer a free day.  This is something we are more likely to utilize on a date night paired with dinner out.

Game Night~ Often we will invite a family over for a night of games and appetizers.  Both families bring their favorite snacks and games-- these are such fun!  It's a night out without the costs of food and babysitters :)

Hiking a Volcano

The Great Outdoors~ Sometimes it's nice to get out of the concrete jungle and just *breathe*.  We love to go hiking and exploring as a family.  We pack a picnic and some extra clothes for the kids and go on a "venture," as Elon likes to call it.  These are free and our favorite times to connect as a family and make some memories.  No interruptions, no distractions, and no need to squelch the kids' boundless energy :)

One quick story:

On our 10th anniversary, the whole family loaded up to run to Chick-fil-a for their Cow Appreciation Day in which we dressed as cows to get a free combo meal.  Although, one of us-- *ahem, Nathan* refused to wear his spots.  So, we all ate for free on our 2 hour drive to the condo that our landlord had let us borrow for the weekend.  On our way, our tire was low so we stopped at a gas station where the attendant graciously let us fill up-- for free.   Upon our arrival, we were met by 2 of our landlord's friends who were to give us a tour of all the amenities that the club has to offer.  Because we aren't members of the club, we were going to have to pay a fee to use the pool, billiards room, club house etc.  However, these kind friends had already paid our fee giving us access to lots of fun!  That afternoon, we ate appetizers at the club with a voucher we received upon purchasing our temporary club pass-- again, free!  The next day, on our way to hike a volcano (dormant, of course!) we walked by the condo's neighboring fire house where they were having family day.  Our kids got to explore the fire house and truck, learn what to do in an emergency, and crawl through a simulated smokey room.  Then we all enjoyed a free lunch at the fire house!  After spending 2 days at our "retreat," we returned home and decided to take a little time for just the two of us.

The night after our return, a friend babysat our kids (free!) for us to go to dinner and a museum.  We decided to go early  to a restaurant we love called Flo's where we dined on half-priced appetizers and drinks.  There we ordered 4 different appetizers and rice (the rice is free!)  Total bill including tip:  less than $13.  After eating, we headed to an art museum where it happened to be free day!  We browsed around the art museum then left for Dunkin Donuts and a chocolate covered eclair.  We finished up with a cuppa' joe and book browsing at Borders.  Total cost for dinner, the museum, and dessert: $15!

Our whole anniversary weekend we again witnessed the Lord's unmerited favor and blessing on our family.

These are just some of the ways that our family "makes it work" when it comes to cheap thrills!

How We Make It Work, Entertainment Part 1...

I Can't Tell You How To Budget....
Cuz I really stink at it!

Haha!  I've never been so nervous to read my comments!  I didn't think that putting our income on public display would make me feel so vulnerable!  I guess that's why most people usually keep it private :)  I went ahead and provided that info because I've often wondered about how much money the thrifty blogs are actually dealing with-- I'm nosey like that!

Before I begin, let me say that I am not very good at finances.  I make a budget, follow it for a month, and then let it fall by the wayside.  Majorly lacking in discipline!  But there are some things that I do every month and I think they help quite a bit.  In all honesty, sometimes we do have to pull from our savings account just to make it work.  At this point in our lives, I'm ok with that.  When Nathan finishes school in May, we are planning on moving to a cheaper home and living a bit more disciplined lives.  With our hectic schedule I am just thankful to be sane, as the journey from here to crazy seems a short trip!

One other thing... in a previous post I mentioned I was drinking "hater-ade" and not reading some of the blogs that I normally enjoy.  I want to clarify that this had nothing to do with their social status or material possessions.  The thing that I was coveting was the PEACE.  The slow-paced, my husband's home for dinner, my kids play with toys lifestyle :)  THAT is the thing that I covet (shame on me!)  Nathan sometimes gets nervous that he isn't providing me with enough.  I always tell him that I am happy to bargain shop and look for creative ways to make it all work because it's just something I've always found to be a fun challenge.  Furthermore, we already have so much and are RICH compared to most people (to the point that I sometimes feel guilty about it).  Just wanted to make that clear :)

Oooookay!  Sorry that was wordy but I'm just thinking and typing fast!  On with the show!

Entertainment~

Ok, obviously with what we have left each month, there is very little left for entertainment.  Here are some of the ways we still manage to have fun while living in the Big City.

1.  Netflix, Redbox, and Hulu~ we don't subscribe to cable so all the movies and tv we watch are through one of these 3 mediums.  Even if we did have the money, it KILLS me to pay $10 each to see a movie that I will probably walk away from saying, "Ehhh, it was a-ight."

2.  Date Nights~  occasionally we will splurge to get a sitter, but on these occasions we keep the costs of our dates to a minimum.  For our anniversary this year, our landlord let us use her condo in the mountains where we could swim, shoot pool, and just lounge.  Since we had our kids along with us, we didn't get much time to ourselves so when we got back we hired a sitter.  We usually pay our sitter $25 so instead of eating out we decided to take sparkling cider, crusty bread, and gourmet cheese out to a secluded spot in the mountains nearby.  The beauty around us,  along with some good music and a few candles gave us a much more romantic and enjoyable time than any fancy restaurant I've frequented. I even wore a dress!  (For some reason I get a little frantic at restaurants.  All the people, noise and distractions steal my ability to converse!)   

The other day our sitter was in town and we really felt like we needed some time together so we went out and saw Tron in 3-D (ehhh, it was a-ight), ate at Panda Express, and topped off at Starbucks with a little book browsing on the side.  It was fun, but we ended up spending more than I do on my wardrobe for the season!

This month has been really crazy with medical bills and other unexpected costs so tonight we will be keeping it simple.  One of our favorite things to do is put Asher to bed early and banish (that sounds wicked doesn't it) Elon to his room with a movie and a snack.  Then Nathan and I go into the living room, light some candles, and drink sparkling cider (or wine-- yuck!)  while watching an old flick on Netflix.  Tonight we will be drinking hot cocoa and eating cookies while watching the last of Lost.  It is so relaxing and much more intimate than going out.

This post is getting so long!  More on cheap thrills ;p tomorrow...

New Mom's Secret...

I am sure that after I shared how I bought a used potty at Goodwill, you probably thought that I couldn't sink much lower than that.  And that is where you would be mistaken, my friends.  Because this Saturday, Goodwill had it's half-off sale and I scored this chocolate brown and aqua Gottex tankini!  Yes, it looks like my cheapness knows no bounds when I will put my rear where some other's rear has gone before.  And I also bought, dare I say it, 4 used V*ctoria Secret bras!  I have sunken to new depths and I don't care!  Give me some detergent! give me some steaming hot water!  I will give you a $100 bathing suit that doesn't make you resemble a 12 year old gymnast and $160 worth of bras that you didn't have to buy from a porn store (aka V*ctoria's Secret)!

Total Cost:  $10

Now if I ever do stoop to buying used underwear, well that will be New Mom's Secret...

JK, I will go commando first!

The $2 Dress...

I got this dress from the yardsale of a lady who works for Cache. She was exactly my size-- score!!!


Here's a little better angle:

New Diet...

I have been trying to put Elon on a new diet of no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial food coloring. I wish we could afford for all of us to go completely organic but that is just not an option right now. Imagine my delight when I came across this at the 99 Cent Store:

Quaker All Natural Oatmeal

Back to Nature Vanilla Wafers individually bagged

Back to Nature Mini Chocolate Chunk Cookies individually bagged

Colby Cheese Wheat Thins (Not necessarily healthy, but better than chips! These are for Nathan and I.)

I was so happy to be able to have this quick snack food to put in Elon's "munch-box" when we don't have homemade available. And all for 99 cents each! These are things that I wouldn't normally buy simply because of the cost. At 99 cents I bought several of each. I later went back and bought several boxes of Back to Nature Sesame Tarragon Crackers. Back to Nature doesn't put any artificial coloring or sweeteners and they don't use hydrogenated oils. Gotta love that, even if you aren't particularly health-conscious (I'm not).

Accessorizing The Dollar Dress...

Before:

After:

Goodwill Hunting...

Hmmm... I realized after my last post that I don't think I ever mentioned my Goodwill stroller saga. It was just too painful....

I arrive early morning to Goodwill's half off sale. The aisles are packed with people and here I am, pregnant, arms loaded with maternity clothes. In the back of the store I spot a navy double stroller that looks brand-spankin' new. I quickly throw my clothes in the seat, and ponder whether I should call Nathan and ask him if he can google the brand "Martinelli." I already have a double stroller, but it's faded and IRRITATING to push. Because of this, when the little Mexican lady quickly came up and asked in broken English whether I was going to get the stroller, I said no and retrieved my pile of maternity clothes. I thought I was being a good steward, after all, I already had a stroller-- and one can never have too many clothes {yeah, right!} Two minutes later, I call Nathan and ask him to google the stroller, and he came up with this:

Peg-Perego Martinelli Tender Twin

Retail Price: $400

Goodwill Price: $25!!!

I stood with my face pressed to the glass and watched as that little lady drove away with MY $400 stroller-- the Goodwill deal of a lifetime. I couldn't sleep that night, and I still don't think I'm really over it... which is why I now NEVER pass up a good deal ;)

What A Waste!

Well, my computer is still on the fritz, but Elizabeth was nice enough to loan me hers. These past few days have been spent mostly at home, with the occasional MOPS outing. I did go to Goodwill's half off sale on Saturday and got a CAAAUTE khaki pant suit. $3.99 baby! What a steal! I can't wait to show it off on my blog this winter. While at Goodwill I learned that they are no longer selling carseats, strollers, pack and plays etc. due to possible recalls. So looks like my quest for a find-of-a-lifetime double stroller is officially over. The guy at Goodwill told me that they don't even tell the donors that they don't accept the items; they simply accept them and then send em' to the trash compacter. He told me they receive a stroller every couple of days. I understand that it is being done out of fear of a lawsuit, but only in America would we waste perfectly good strollers like that :( Goodwill, can I hang out at your trash compacter for a couple of days?

A Cheap Date...

All this week, AZ Chic-fil-a's re giving away free breakfasts.  And boy are we taking advantage of the offer!  Yesterday, Nathan and I went with Elon and Asher.  We all ate burritos for free and we used the toddler play area as a free babysitter!  What a cheap (and delicious) date!  Then today, Elon and I got a couple of biscuits to-go before heading to our 75 cent summer movie special featuring Kung-fu Panda.  A very funny movie, I might add-- and another cheap date!  See you tomorrow, chicken minis!

Ever have your lettuce wilt in just a couple of days? Before you toss it, try this tip to save a few cents! Soak the leaves in ice cold water for a couple of hours and watch them "spring" back to life! This works for lots of different greens {although I haven't had luck with iceburg}. For more helpful tips, check out We Are That Family!

Before:


After:

Ok, so not the greatest pictures...

Why I Love Dollar Tree...

Because I can get breads like Sara Lee Raisin Bread, Dinner Rolls, Multi-Grain, and Hot Dog Buns...

for a buck apiece!

For Everything Else There's Mastercard...

Wreath-- $7

Decorative Picks-- $9


Finding it all on 90% clearance*-- Priceless!

*You do the math! FYI, the prices listed are before the 90% discount!

**I'll admit it isn't beautiful, but as my first Christmas wreath it's not too bad. I already know who's present it will be for next year.

Holiday Decorating On A Dime...

An inexpensive idea for a holiday centerpiece-- an apothecary jar emptied of it's seashells and filled with extra ornaments and a Big Lots bow.

Our completed tree-- I like to get most of my ornaments, ribbons, and wreaths from the after-Christmas clearance at K-mart. I just love their Martha Stewart Holiday Traditions line. I think that I paid .75 for the gold and cream wired ribbon draping the tree. The pre-lit umbrella tree I got on clearance at Target for around $35.

Price Matching...

Sunflowers, a local farmer's market near my house, ran pineapples in their store ad for .99 cents apiece. Wal-Mart's cost $3.--. But, since I do all of my other shopping at Wal-Mart, it's so much more convenient to only drag Elon out of the car seat for one stop.

My solution, bring the ad into Wal-Mart and do a little price matching. I saved over $4 on two pineapples, not to mention the saved gas. At this stage in my life, I love price matching for it's convenience. I do it quite often, especially for produce. If you haven't yet, you should try it-- it even works for their automotive department!

For Everything Else, There's Mastercard...

"Toto, I've A Feeling We're Not In Colorado Anymore..."

I like refinishing furniture. I love turning ugly and seemingly worthless furniture into pieces that I, at least, find charming. There's just something about putting your own blood, sweat, and tears into a piece that makes it that much more valuable. There are plenty of shabby chic shops around here, but did you know I've never even visited one? I simply prefer to do it myself. I think it's a form of self-expression or something. But when it's 97* and I've got beads of sweat rolling down my back after 15 minutes, self-expression goes out the window and all I can think about is "Why didn't I just buy one at the store?" ACK!

My very limited progress...





I haven't even finished the first stage of stripping :( So I still have to 1. finish stripping paint, 2. prime, 3. first coat, 4. sand, 5. 2nd coat, 6. sand, 7. accent details, 8. hand sand edges, 9. varnish or gloss.

And it's in the 100*'s all week. AGHHHH!!!!

Free Maternity Clothes and Other Cheap Finds...

All FREE!!!

Plus Fry's has all of their Boston Market and Weight Watchers Smart Ones on sale for $1!

Helpful Link

With gas prices on the rise, yardsaling isn't half as much fun as it used to be because now I have to factor gas costs into my "deals." After reading an MSN article it appears it isn't going to get much better this summer. However, I did find this handy-dandy website that reveals an area's cheapest gas stations. To find out where yours is, simply click on this link and type in your zip: http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx The cheapest in my area is about $3.19. Since I'll be passing by this location on Monday, I plan on filling up!