Having Fun

Now this is my idea of fun! Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Pinching Your Pennies website. I started appr. a year or so ago and I became addicted. Since having four kids costs a lot of money I realized I needed to be more smart about how I shopped. I also wanted to build up our food storage but I didn't have a lot of extra money to do it. I wait until there is a good sale then I use my coupons along with it. That is what make's a great deal! I got all of this stuff for $50. I saved more money then I spent! I got toothpaste for $.25, pads for $1, and even some of the Quakers for free! Some items like the fabric softner and chicken nuggets usually never come on sale but I did get them for a pretty good price. Since I've started to stock up on items when they are on sale my regular grocery bill every two weeks has decreased. I used to spend about $200 and now it's more like $60! It does take some effort and planning but it is well worth it. I like to think that it allows us to have more money for the fun things, like vacations!

Besides groceries, Pinching Your Pennies has great links to online deals. I have bought numerous things and for way cheap. Some of the things that I have bought recently are: Thomas the train movies from $3.25 each, cute girls plaid OP shorts for $1.50, fitted sheets for $1.99 each, $120 worth of diapers for $44, and most of the time I get free shipping! I already have Easton's birthday taken care of and all of my kids summer and winter clothes.
Some of the other things that I do to save money:
I buy twenty loaves of bread at a time, when they are on sale, and freeze them
Always buy clothes for next year at the end of the season
If there is just a few grocery items on sale that week from different stores have Walmart price match
I always look for online shopping codes to get free shipping or extra discounts
Don't buy it unless you will really use it-this one I'm still working on
Stock up on the things that you know you will use-like shampoo, toliet paper, etc.
Use coupons!
Pay your credit card balance every month or don't use at all!
Our kids have been having a blast on our new trampoline! We have been promising them that we would get one ever since we moved in. I kept telling them that when we had grass and now finally we do! Eric bought it while I was at scrapaway and somehow managed to fit it in the trunk of our car. It took awhile to set up but it was worth the wait! The kids have been playing on it all weekend and just having fun being outside.