Basics of the New Couponing
Couponing has been making a strong comeback recently thanks to the down economy. The promises of free items or even getting cash back with “doublers” and “catalinas” is more than just merely alluring to many. If you’re tempted to coupon more than just casually, here are some things to keep in mind: Continue reading “Basics of the New Couponing” »
Cost of Groceries per Person per Month
I recently had an email I appreciated greatly from one of our management leaders regarding the suggestion in our budgeting presentation that households should try to spend between $75 and $125 per person per month in their household on groceries. His concern (a valid one) is that the number appears quite low when compared to the suggested figures released by the government (upwards of $200 per person per month). Continue reading “Cost of Groceries per Person per Month” »
Santa’s Not Coming to Town Quite Yet
I’ve always thought that Thanksgiving gets the short end of the stick when it comes to fall holidays. Christmas seems to invade stores almost as soon as kids are back on the school playgrounds after summer. Maybe that’s why I love Thanksgiving some much. It hasn’t been (and hopefully never will be) commercialized. Hopefully it stays the most home-centered of gatherings so our society.
Still, just because it’s not been co-oped by Madison Avenue doesn’t mean we don’t, as a nation, spend a lot of additional money on the holiday. Thanksgiving generally means extra expenses in: Continue reading “Santa’s Not Coming to Town Quite Yet” »
Financial Resource of the Week – Money Saving Mom Blog
The MoneySavingMom.com blog is a blog designed to help people make their money go further. The blog provides information and links to ‘freebies’, coupons and current sales. The site also provides recipes that are aimed at saving you money with a theme on freezer cooking.
I think the blog does a great job at presenting a wide array of money saving information and recommend taking a look for yourself. Continue reading “Financial Resource of the Week – Money Saving Mom Blog” »
Back to School Shopping Tips
Back to school shopping can be quite expensive if you go unprepared.
I’ve compiled a list of things you can do to get the most out of your shopping experience and take advantage of the many back to school sale offers.
Financial Resource of the Week – USDA SNAP-Ed
Meal planning, grocery shopping and budgeting tips are provided in abundance on the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) website. Most documents are .pdf files that can be downloaded and printed and are made available for self use or for use in the classroom. Continue reading “Financial Resource of the Week – USDA SNAP-Ed” »
Holiday Shopping Tips
Saving for the Holidays
The Holidays are a time for family gatherings, gift buying, and great food, which are all great in moderation. Fitness clubs have the highest memberships in the month of January, and credit card companies love the purchases made on their cards during the holidays. This year, enjoy knowing that you have the tools necessary to pay cash for Christmas gifts, food, and travel. Here are a few tips to budgeting a “cash only” Holiday Season.
- Begin saving now for Christmas shopping and Holiday activities. Starting in July would be ideal, but now is better than later.
- Create a list of people you would like to give gifts to and assign each person a dollar amount.
Developing Effective Spending Habits 101
Below is a list of five different spending behaviors prevalent in stores and malls across our land. Some of us may exhibit one particular behavior, but the majority of us will likely identify with two or more of them.
Behavior: Convenience Shopping
Description: You say things like, “It’s on my way,” or, “I don’t have time to look around!”
Behavior: Entitlement Shopping Continue reading “Developing Effective Spending Habits 101” »