Quick Tip: Drawer Organization

Organization always puts a smile on my face and saving money does too.  So, when I stumble upon a great organization idea with supplies from Dollar Tree, I am in heaven!! 

 

When we updated our the kids'/guest bathroom, we were all about having enough hidden storage with cabinets and drawers.  However, when your drawers look like the mess in the picture to the right, then that storage space is really pointless.

 

The cushioned contact paper on the bottom of the drawer has bunched up, there is toothpaste all over the place and there are more unused items than used items in the drawer.  It's a mess!  And this is just ONE of the six drawers.  Needless to say, every time one of the messy drawers is opened, I am a Stress-Mess.  Something had to be done.

 

The first place I like to look to for organization supplies is Dollar Tree.  Imagine my excitement when I found fun, colorful baskets in sets of three or four for (you guessed it) just $1.  I thought, if they fit, they'd be perfect for the messy bathroom drawers.  However, I also wanted to replace the cushion contact paper that lines the bottom of the drawers, just in case anything makes it outside of the baskets.  Guess what!  Dollar Tree had adorable cushioned contact paper too!!  Woohoo!!!

 

I was super happy to bring home the baskets and find out they fit perfectly in the drawers.  The contact paper and the baskets look so adorable.  Also, the drawers are now organized and easy to clean.  Check out your local Dollar Tree and find the perfect organization tools that can help you feel less stressed.  Cheers to an organized and less stressed life!

10 Best Web Sites to Save You Money

I've been looking into ways to save our family money to help diminish our debt.  So, I went on my search and found an article on TLC's website called 10 Best Web Sites to Save You Money.  Of course, I had to check it out right away.

The article suggests several sites to help you save money on anything from clothes to monthly bills.  A lot of great ideas and terrific websites.  The one they suggest more than once is Groupon.  Groupon is a website that helps you find deals in your area for local stores and entertainment.  Click here to read the article and find out more.

Free 14-Issue Digital Subscription to Parenting School Years

ValueMags has tons of great offers on discount magazine subscriptions.  They often have free magazine offers too.  Right now they have a special offer for the Parenting School Years magazine.

As many of you know, having a child start kindergarten is a big change for the whole family, especially if it's your oldest.  Parenting School Years is a great source of helpful information for parents with kids in elementary school.

To get your free 14-issue digital subscription with no strings attached click here.

Save Money by Bundling Your TV, Cable and Internet

Last year, our family was in need of new vehicle.  We would be able to afford a used truck but, the monthly payments would make things a little tight.  So, we looked to our bills to look for places to cut back and/or save money.  After reviewing all our bills and checking the company websites for any current deals, found a way to say some money each month.  Our home phone company was offering a bundle package that included home phone, Internet and satellite TV.  With their bundle plan we are now saving $100 a month and getting better Internet and TV than we had before. 

It just goes to show you that there are opportunities to save money out there waiting to be found.  You just have to take the time to look for them!  Check your phone and cable companies for deals.  Good luck!

Free Coupons and Promotion Codes

If you are going out shopping or staying in and shopping online, take the time to search the web from some great savings on your purchase.  One of my favorite sites is RetailMeNot.com.  It provides promotional codes for stores like JcPenney, L.L.Bean and Victoria Secret.  I recently used a promo code for 15% off a purchase at Children's Place that I found on RetailMeNot.com.  My friend recently suggested Hip2Save.com, which shares freebies, coupons, store saving database and online deals.  She also told me about SoutherSavers.com.  They have printable coupons and quick lesson that teach you how to coupon.  Whichever website you plan to choose, there are tons of savings opportunities out there for everyone.  Happy Shopping! 

Stretch Your Grocery Money

Now here is a mom who knows what she is talking about.  Gina is a stay-at-home-mom with three young children (including a set of twins).  She has created a blog, Moneywise Moms, where she shares all her money saving ideas.  She has tons of great advice to offer.  However, since my favorite ways to save money are at the grocery store my top three favorite posts on Moneywise Moms are:

1. Cook Once, Eat 10 Times
2. Cook Once, Eat 10 Times (Chicken Edition)
3. Saving Money on Groceries (with NO Coupons)

Thank you Gina for taking the time from your busy schedule to share your wonderful money saving ideas with the rest of us.  I look forward to your future posts.

Stop Throwing Away Groceries!

With money tight these days I do everything I can to stretch every dollar.  So, when I throw away spoiled groceries at the end of each week, I feel like I'm throwing away money.  I knew I had to do something about it right away.  So I began to work on a new grocery buying and using strategy.  

When I thought about it I realized I would buy ingredients needed for only one recipe and those ingredients would go bad before I made the recipe again.  So, I sat down and thought about recipes that share the same ingredients and decided to group all those recipes into one week of meals.  This way I will be able to use all my groceries without leaving anything to toss in the garbage at the end of the week.  This is what I cam up with so far:

Main Groceries:

• 4 Large Split Fryer Chicken Breasts
• 2 lbs Beef Rib Meat
• BBQ Sauce
• Sack of Potatoes
• 1 Bunch of Celery
• 1 Bunch of Carrots
• Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• Tortilla Shells

Meals:

1. Homemade Chicken Soup
2. BBQ Chicken
3. Chicken Salad 
4. Chicken Quesadillas
5. Cheesy Roll-Ups (tortilla shells and shredded cheese; roll up and cook in microwave for 20-30 seconds)
6. Beef Stew
7. BBQ Ribs
8. BBQ Rib Wraps
9. Carrot Stick Snack (left over carrots)

*Images from http://www.fotosearch.com/

Simply Savings Workshops: Kroger Meal Ideas

This is a great blog that a friend recommended to me. She has a lot of great ideas on how to save money for your family. She also tells you where to find awesome deals and printable coupons.

Since I'm a big fan of easy meals, one of her recent posts sparked my interest. Thought some of you might be interested too! Check it out:

Simply Savings Workshops: Kroger Meal Ideas: "I by no means consider myself to be a great cook (my friends are all smiling now...), but I often have people tell me that they go to the st..."

Money Matters

I am a stay-at-home-mom and I believe that part of my job is to help save my family money and to take care of the bills. So I am always on the look out for easier ways to manage and save money. 

A big help for me is my "money folder". It is a 3-ring binder with the following: Yearly Calendar, Weekly Planner, Checkbook Register, Bill Tracker and Address Book. This folder helps me stay on top of bills, schedules and keep track of our money. It's very convenient having everything in one place instead of all over the place.

1. The first thing in my 3-ring-binder is a Yearly Calendar in a page protector. On this calendar I circle all the dates of the year that we are going to receive a paycheck. This helps me decide which bills are paid with which paychecks.
2. Next I have tabs and for my first tab I use my Weekly Planner Pages to keep track of detailed information for school events, appointments, family functions, etc. I transfer this schedule to a monthly dry erase calendar I keep posted in my kitchen for everyone to see. This way my husband can't say "You didn't tell me!". If he does, I just point to the board. =)
3. I don't know about everyone else out there but, as soon as I got a debit card those little checkbook registers that come with your checks last me about a month. So, my second tab is for my Checkbook Register sheets.
4. My third tab is for tracking my bills with my Bill Tracker pages. Here I keep track of when I plan to pay a bill, when it is due and the amount. Once I pay the bill I note how and when I paid/mailed it.
5. The last tab is for my Address Book sheets. I bought alphabet tabs for this section and print my own sheets to list my contacts and their information.
6. Add a 3-ring-binder pouch to keep all your coupons in.  They will be easy to find for your next shopping trip.

You can find all the documents I discussed under the "Money Matters" tab above. Feel free to use them to create a "money folder" of your own.