Dollar Store Savvy

One of the best ways to save money is shopping at dollar or discount stores.  However, there are some things you should be getting at the dollar store and some things you should never buy at the dollar store.  You can find name-brand products at dollar and discount stores for half of the original price, you just have to shop around a bit.  And make sure you know that just because its at the dollar store it doesn't mean it is bad, sometimes manufacturers make too much of a product and need to distribute it to other stores.  So go out and save some money!

 

 

Coupons

Start the week off right by clipping some coupons and saving some money! Check out this week's coupons from SavingStar!

 

 

Coupons for January

Other HOT coupons for this week!

Buy any 1 Marie's® Yogurt Dressing, Save $1.00

Save 50¢ when you buy TWO BOXES (2) any Nature Valley® Granola Bars

Save 40¢ when you buy SIX CUPS (6) any variety Yoplait® Yogurt

Save 50¢ when you buy (1) any flavor Chex Mix® OR Chex® 100 Calorie Snack

Save $1.00 when you buy (2) any variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Cookie Dough

Save 50¢ when you buy TWO CUPS (2) any flavor Yoplait® Greek yogurt

Save 75¢ when you buy any ONE BOX (1) Fiber One® Cereal

Save 50¢ when you buy ONE (1) PACKAGE any flavor Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips

Save 40¢ when you buy ONE (1) BOX any flavor Fiber One® 90Cal Chewy Bars or 90Cal Brownies

Buy (1) McCain® Sweet Potato Fries, Save $1.00

Save $1.00 when you spend $4.00 on Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Guide to Budgeting

Learning how to budget and manage money is important for your bank account, health, and relationships.  Money can cause stress which leads to decreased health and strain on relationships.  So learning how to handle your money young will save you a headache in the future.  Below is a free-printable budget by Dave Ramsey, the money management guru.

Just click the photo above and you will be on your way to financial bliss :)

 

 

Homemade Febreze

Have a smelly dorm, apartment, house, or car but hate paying high-prices for cleaning products?  Me too!! I love everything to smell fresh ALL THE TIME but it can really get expensive, so here is how you can make your own homemade Febreze and it will only cost you 15 cents per bottle!

 

Combine 1/8 cup of fabric softener and 2 Tbsps. of baking soda in a spray bottle.  Fill the rest of the spray bottle with hot tap water and shake it all up. 

 

How to Save Money in Your 20s

Ughh...one of the worst parts about growing up is learning how to manage your money.  Sometimes you have to make things stretch and miss out on the fun just to make ends meet.  So whether you are a poor college student, just starting your career, or getting ready to start a little family these tips will help you save money and stress less.  If you have any money saving tips, please post them :)

 

 

Overall:

1.  Make a financial goal chart so you can see what you want and/or what you need to do.  As you meet your goals you can cross them off and that in itself is EXTREMELY rewarding.
2.  Implement the 48-hour rule.  This is where you wait at least 48 hours to purchase an expensive or splurge item.  If you are still thinking about that pair of sexy heels or skinny jeans after 48 hours then you can allow yourself to go back and purchase them.  Waiting 48 hours allows you to really decide if you need them or if you were just “in the moment.”
3.  Fix it before you ditch it!  Rather than going out and buying a new pair of black pumps because you wore out the toe look up shoe repair tutorials on Pinterest or YouTube and create a whole new shoe.

Groceries:
1.  Make a meal plan for the week and write down all of the ingredients you will need for every recipe.  Then determine which ingredients you will need.  Write the items that you need down on a grocery list.
2.  Stick to your grocery list.  If you followed the tip above then you will only need the stuff on your grocery list.
3.  Instead of purchasing meat in small portions at higher prices spend a couple of extra dollars for a few more pounds of meat.  When you get home divide the meat up into portions and freeze them for later use.
4.  Coupon. Coupon. Coupon.  I have a great list of Websites under WannabeCoupon Queen for you to check out and help you save money.  Even if you only save a few bucks it really adds up over the year and is worth it.
5.  Hit up dollar or discount stores when you need to buy things like cleaning supplies, paper towel, toilet paper, detergent, and toothpaste.  You can get name brand products or generic brands (that work just as great) at dollar and discount stores at half the price of your regular grocery store.
6.  Use reward and loyalty cards if at all possible.  Some stores send you additional coupons and even gift cards when you reach a certain amount of points on your reward or loyalty card.
7.  If you pay with cash, throw your change in a jar and save it up for a splurge item.

Entertainment:

1.  I know it’s hard to say “no” when everyone else is going out to lunch or hitting up happy-hour nearly every single day but you have to do it.  Or at the very least limit your time eating or drinking out.  If you do go-out check-out sites like restaurant.com, Living Social, Groupon, and Yelp for coupons and deals.
2.  Instead of going out have a few friends over for cheap snacks and drinks.  You can get a bottle of wine that has 3-4 servings in it at the same price as 2 drinks at the bar. 
3.  Movie theaters can cost you an arm and a leg these days.  So instead of hanging out at the movies all weekend watch Hulu, Netflix, or Apple TV once instead.