3 Part Financial Series: Part Three

It took me a while to get this post up because we had a baby that went on a nap strike. He's still protesting them but I finally got a 3rd wind after putting him to bed tonight and was able to finish this post.

I'm giving you the insider track on how Steve and I walk out this thing called living within our means. It's not easy but it can be done. And we aren't perfect at it either. There are plenty of times we mess up so don't go thinking that we have got it all together or figured out for that matter because we don't. But I truly believe that all this takes practice. And with every mistake that you make, you figure out a better way to do what you've been doing.

Many times I will get questions from friends on how we coupon or save money. There isn't always one strategy that we use but several. And sometimes they work and sometimes they don't work. Like this past week I went way over on my food budget because Publix had chicken breasts and ground sirloin on sale. So I stocked up for the month. In my head it made sense because why buy it when it isn't on sale? But the problem was after I got all that meat jam packed in my freezer, I realized that I didn't buy enough veggies and fruits for the rest of the week. Instead of making another run to the store to spend even more money, we are just making it work until our grocery day on Wednesday. Those things happen and you have to give yourself grace - which I'm not particularly good at. I'm very goal oriented so if the budget says $50 and I spend $64 then chances are I will beat myself up for it pretty good.

So I'm going to give you some ideas about what we do and what we think works for us. And if you have any secrets or tips to share, then please do so. I'm currently trying to find more inexpensive clothing for myself seeing that my size seems to change on a daily basis. :(   So Steve says we are not buying any nice clothes given the fact that a month later, I might not be able to wear them at all. So I want some classic, elegant and stylish pieces that are affordable. Right now I'm looking at places like Old Navy, Forever 21, JC Penny's for some affordable, stylish pieces to mix and match with what I have. If you have any places or online resources to recommend to me on this category please do so.

Diapers - Can be a real budget buster. But you know you are going to need them. This is one category that must be funded. A box of Pampers costs roughly $20 at Wal-Mart. So we generally figure out how many we go through in a month and then put that total in our budget. Because we have figured out a way to get them so much cheaper, we spend much less $20 a box. We have $20 as our diaper fund each month. We shop at CVS for the majority of our diapers unless Publix is running a sale with a bunch of coupons. We use our CVS extra care bucks to buy diapers, toilet paper, soap, Listerine, toothpaste, paper towels and wipes. We just go to Southern Savers and click on the CVS tab and she has it all worked out for us. She tells you which inserts to pull your coupons from and everything. I also have gotten on Huggies and Pampers mailing lists and they often mail us coupons as well. You can just go to their websites and sign up. I will say that Pampers are my favorite but when we get a big box of Huggies for $8 instead of $20 then I'm not going to be a diaper snob at that savings.

Couponing - I used to be the coupon queen. But now that I have a little one, I don't have time to clip every single coupon and file it away. Instead I use a much quicker system of labeling and filing my inserts from the paper. We subscribe to the Wednesday and Sunday papers. I take the coupon inserts, label them with the dates and then put them in files labeled Smart Source, P&G, Red Plum or publix yellow flier. Then when salsa is BOGO at Publix, Southern Savers will tell you there is a coupon from SS (Smart Source)  10/14 (October 14 insert) and you just flip it open and cut it out. Every Sunday I flip through the inserts and cut out coupons for very specific items that I would buy even if they weren't on sale like diapers, my Olay facial cleanser (which there is always a coupon for and when it goes on sale at Publix then I get it for $2). It's only a couple of coupons that I cut so it takes no time to file those away. Even though we buy our diapers on sale and use Southern Savers, I still like to have all my diaper coupons in one place for some reason.This system has saved me so much time and because of it, I'm now stockpiling more because I'm only buying the stuff when it's on sale and has coupons with it. Click this to learn more about how to coupon with Southern Savers.

Meal planning - Right now I'm using a meal service called e-mealz and it's fantastic. They plan everything out for you and the recipes are great. We are using the two person - portion control plan for any store. We are shopping at Aldi for mostly frozen veggies, fresh produce, milk, eggs, canned goods, dairy products and so forth. Then we go to Publix and buy all our meat that is on sale and any other items that are BOGO like pasta, salsa, chicken nuggets and so forth. Right now, this system is working well for us. Aldi is cheaper than Wal Mart and the store is so small that it makes getting in and out a cinch.

Cosmetics - If you haven't read,"Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter With Out Me" then you must get it. I checked it out from the library. It will help you save so much money on skincare and cosmetics. I can't tell you how much we are saving on skincare now. And my routine is so much simpler now which makes life easier in the mornings when I'm getting ready. I've simplified my make up which you can read in my post, What I use. I ask for gift cards to Sephora and Aveda for Christmas and birthdays and that allows me to buy some nice extras to use.

Haircuts - I love my getting my hair done. It feels so good. But I don't have the time or the means anymore to color my hair. Unfortunately, I've got a gray streak coming down like Stacy London so I'm not sure how much longer I  can last without coloring my hair. But I have started going to the Aveda Institute to get haircuts. They have a really nice salon by the Galleria and the haircuts are only $18. However, last week I really wanted just a trim so I went up to the Aveda store at the Summit and got a free trim. On Wednesdays, they do free trims with stylists from Richard Joseph salons.

Dining out - Steve and I don't eat out a whole lot. Restaurant dining can be a major budget buster. I told Steve the other day that I am just so much more aware of how much it costs for us to eat out. It's expensive. Even just grabbing Moe's costs us $15. So most of the time we use Groupon, Living Social, or Daily Deal for 50% off coupons to eat at nice restaurants. These coupon services allow us the opportunity to eat at some expensive restaurants that would normally not be in our budget.

Other money saving tips:
- We almost never purchase books. We get them from the library first to read them and find out whether it is something that we would really want to own. Books take up room and have to be dusted. Since we have limited room, we only want to invest in books that really inspire us.
- Price shop your auto, homeowners and renters insurance. When we switched to Geico for our auto insurance it saved us around $500 a year. That is an incredible savings! We are always comparing rates on insurance to make sure we get the best deal.
- Clean out your closet and sell your items at a consignment store. I take my proceeds and use that to buy clothing for each season. I recommend Zoe's Consignment in Forest Park.
- ** Be content with what you have. You will save so much money by not buying the latest and greatest gadgets. I think I'm actually the last person on earth to get Internet on my phone. But I will have it around Christmas time since hubby upgraded us because he has to have it for his work. It's amazing what happens when we get to that place of contentment. Williams Sonoma used to be my happy place and while I still enjoy the store, I don't need all that stuff anymore. I have the necessities in my kitchen and that's enough.

Thanks so much for tuning in to my financial series. Hope you feel inspired to live within your means and on a budget. Let's all be good stewards of what God has given us.