So a while back (quite a while back), I posted about saving money through better utilization of coupons and sales. My success with said savings have waxed and wained this year, but this month - I think I've done pretty well.
So far, just this month (all three weeks of it), I've saved just over $30 in coupons alone. That's more than half a tank of gas! In my last Publix shopping trip (my second most frequented grocer), I spent $24 and saved $35 with combined BOGOs, coupons, and sale items. I stocked up on cereal (a very popular and expensive item in our household - one box for $5?? I don't think so...), muffin mixes, and a few other BOGOs or sale items with double coupons (yeah, baby).
The thing I like about couponing is that it doesn't matter if you save 55 cents in a shopping trip or $15, the bottom line is that you saved and it all adds up. Think about it, if you save 55 cents per shopping trip and shop twice a week, that's a $13 savings for one year. No, that doesn't seem like a lot, but it's equivalent to 6 bottles of shampoo (I use Suave, which always has coupons making them about $2 a bottle) or two boxes of K-cups (I'm a Keurig lover now) or eight boxes of cereal (on sale and with coupons). Generally, people save $1 or $2 each shopping trip, which makes the savings $24 or $48 a year, and that's just with coupons - let alone the savings acquired buy purchasing items on sale.
There are also TONS of tools available online to help you maximize your savings. My favorite sites are: southersavers.com, frugalcouponliving.com, couponmom.com, and coupons.com. You can also find websites for your favorite products and most of the time the parent companies have 'membership deals' with free coupons every month (General Mills and Kelloggs have TONS of online coupons).
Also, you don't have to spend hours each day or even each week with matching sale items or coupons. I spend at most one hour a week looking at sales ads, the websites above, and matching (or finding) coupons. That's broken up over Sunday mornings (finding coupons) and Wednesday lunch breaks (matching sales and coupons).
It's worked for me and encourages me in becoming a Proverbs 31 wife (Prov. 31:15, 16, 18, and 21). If you're interested, take a prayful step forward - it can be as easy or as complicated as you want.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
So excited!
Our homeschool year is coming to a wonderful close and we have some exciting things planned for our last four weeks.
In science, the kids are learning about Oceanography. So far they've learned about the five oceans and the four ocean zones. It's always amazing to see the things God created in the ocean - fish with luminous organs, 'smoke stacks' billowing with sulpher from inside the earth, and all the amazing plant life living in the darkest coldest depths.
I'm not sure what their final product will be - a lapbook probably. Those are always fun to make.
Next the kids will do a short unit on the reproduction of plants. We even got a bag full of hydrangeas from a friend the kids are going to disect. I love hands-on projects!
Finally, and this is the project I'm most excited about, we'll end the year learning about the different types of rocks. The reason I'm so excited about this, is because of this blog: http://www.squidoo.com/homeschool-unit-study-schedule-for-year-1 Scroll down to the Earth Science & Geology unit and look at the amazing ideas this lady has for learning about sedementary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Those who know our homeschooling style know that whenever I can include food in a lesson - I do (I love to cook.. and eat... and it shows... but that's another story). So the kids will be able to learn about the amazing rocks God created, then do some creative, yummy, and hands-on activities to dig deeper into their exploration.
Cannot wait!!
Before I forget - the kids wrapped up their weather unit last week with their final projects - creating a video about one weather event. Little Man and Lulu both chose to make videos on hurricanes - but they each had a different take. Little Man chose to be a teaching meterologist in his video by explaining a little bit about hurricanes. Lulu decided to make a pretend weather report tracking fictional hurricane Debby from North Carolina to Florida (following a similar path to TS Beryl that landed last week).
Doodle Bug chose to do her project on thunderstorms. Which, I'm just now realizing, is totally appropriate for her. Since toddlerhood, she has been TERRIFIED of thunderstorms. Since we live in the hot and humid south, said storms are a staple in 5 out of 7 summer afternoons. Learning about these terrifying storms and exactly how they form, what they do, and what they are has really eased her mind at them. In fact, we've had a few come through in the last few weeks and come to think of it - she wasn't scared a bit. So, her project on thunderstorms was perfect for her - and she did a good job. I'm hoping to upload those videos this week and will post them here in my next post.
That's it for now. Hope and pray you all are doing well.
In science, the kids are learning about Oceanography. So far they've learned about the five oceans and the four ocean zones. It's always amazing to see the things God created in the ocean - fish with luminous organs, 'smoke stacks' billowing with sulpher from inside the earth, and all the amazing plant life living in the darkest coldest depths.
I'm not sure what their final product will be - a lapbook probably. Those are always fun to make.
Next the kids will do a short unit on the reproduction of plants. We even got a bag full of hydrangeas from a friend the kids are going to disect. I love hands-on projects!
Finally, and this is the project I'm most excited about, we'll end the year learning about the different types of rocks. The reason I'm so excited about this, is because of this blog: http://www.squidoo.com/homeschool-unit-study-schedule-for-year-1 Scroll down to the Earth Science & Geology unit and look at the amazing ideas this lady has for learning about sedementary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Those who know our homeschooling style know that whenever I can include food in a lesson - I do (I love to cook.. and eat... and it shows... but that's another story). So the kids will be able to learn about the amazing rocks God created, then do some creative, yummy, and hands-on activities to dig deeper into their exploration.
Cannot wait!!
Before I forget - the kids wrapped up their weather unit last week with their final projects - creating a video about one weather event. Little Man and Lulu both chose to make videos on hurricanes - but they each had a different take. Little Man chose to be a teaching meterologist in his video by explaining a little bit about hurricanes. Lulu decided to make a pretend weather report tracking fictional hurricane Debby from North Carolina to Florida (following a similar path to TS Beryl that landed last week).
Doodle Bug chose to do her project on thunderstorms. Which, I'm just now realizing, is totally appropriate for her. Since toddlerhood, she has been TERRIFIED of thunderstorms. Since we live in the hot and humid south, said storms are a staple in 5 out of 7 summer afternoons. Learning about these terrifying storms and exactly how they form, what they do, and what they are has really eased her mind at them. In fact, we've had a few come through in the last few weeks and come to think of it - she wasn't scared a bit. So, her project on thunderstorms was perfect for her - and she did a good job. I'm hoping to upload those videos this week and will post them here in my next post.
That's it for now. Hope and pray you all are doing well.
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