Coupon Savings!

Great news!! I opened my coupon spreadsheet yesterday and started looking at it closely.

I've saved $118.13 using coupons in January, and $40.49 so far in February. This is not counting the store savings - this is just coupons! That's great!! And I will say I'm super picky about coupons. I don't use them for anything I wouldn't normally buy. I'm also careful to check to see if the generic is less without a coupon than the brand name is with the coupon.

So I thought today I'd post a few of my favorite links to the money saving blogs I like to read. Eventually I'd like to get them into my list on the sidebar.

**Please note these are not links - you'll need to copy & paste to open the link. Sorry about that.

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://bargainbanana.blogspot.com/
http://mommysnacks.blogspot.com This is where my grocery/coupon spreadsheet came from
http://organizingafamily.blogspot.com/
http://www.thriftyandchicmom.com/
http://www.moneysavingmethods.blogspot.com/
http://www.mommieswithcents.com/
http://www.thenewfrugalmom.com/
http://frugalchicliving.blogspot.com/
http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/ I love this one on Weds!! - they have links to tons more blogs with great tips!
http://gettingfreedom.blogspot.com/
http://jamieisamoneymagnet.blogspot.com/
http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
https://wwws.mint.com
This is the BEST at keeping track of your money - it does it for you. Sadly I use a local credit union & it can't link up with them - but it tracks everything else. I just started using this last month

Storage idea!

I had a great idea last week for storing all my holiday door decorations. Its so easy I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!

I started putting up command hooks on the inside of my closet door. Then I hung all the door decorations on the hooks! Brilliant! And so simple!



This is not our main closet, but an extra one in the basement. This is also where I keep wrapping paper & other holiday decorations. The Christmas & Easter stuff are in boxes in the garage - but everything else fits in here.

Come see more fun stuff at Rocks In my Dryer's WFMW

My life without a car payment

I found a great video from Dave Ramsey about life without a car payment.
http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/lms/drive_free/player.cfm

I'm feeling pretty smart right now & just wanted to share this. I have been driving the same car since I graduated from college in 1998. That's eleven years. I paid my car off after about 2 years - it was a used car. There were a few tough times where we took out a loan on it because we needed cash for another emergency, but all in all I've had an average of 6 or more years without a car payment.

We have a payment on my husband's vehicle - but lets not mention that right now.

My goal is to get our finances to the point were I can do what Dave did in the example. Even if I'm just paying myself $300 a month - I'd like to think I'll get a new car in about 4 more years and I'd like a hefty down payment.

Anyone else doing this? I'd love to hear about it.

Oh, and I found a new budgeting site called minty.com that will help me get to this point. Go check it out.

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Bees!!!

Spring is coming and so are my bees!! I have a colony of Cutter Bees living in my back yard. So I bought them a house. What else would a good former-Realtor do?

It was a purchase from a man in Seattle who sells his stuff on Etsy. The AR is his initials - I wish that it could have been customized with mine or just said bee or something. But I love the bee logo and the house is fabulous!

Cutter bees are the same as Mason bees. They won't hurt anyone - they just like to pollinate.

I'm putting the box out this week. I know its early but better early than late!

While we're talking houses - I also bought a butterfly house from the same shop.

I hope I can get a few to move in! We'll just have to wait & see. Come see more hints & tips at Rocks in my Dryer

I have a button!

I did it!! The button is fixed. Whew. Please don't ask how - I think it was random luck.

I did use this site though CLICK HERE as a starting point. I put my photo into Photobucket and a small miracle occurred!

Ooops - I forgot the link! I'll have to hunt it down. In the meantime, here's one I tried to use the first time.

http://oikology101.blogspot.com/2008/09/make-your-own-button-for-your-blogger.html