Extreme Couponing 1.0 (not so extreme)

When I was in San Diego this past weekend visiting my family, we had a couple days to just unwind and watch TV.  Since it was a holiday weekend, I guess, there was an "Extreme Couponing" marathon on TLC...and I got completely sucked in for hours and hours.  With each new episode my jaw continuously dropping to the floor!

It really is shocking to see people, who typically seem just as busy or busier and no smarter than me, checking out $1000+ worth of items for less than $50 over and over, and over again.  Then, to see the stockpiles in basements and pantries, that look and appear like grocery store isles (and know that everything in there was basically free) was even more mind blowing.  So it got me motivated to give couponing a chance.

All week I have been dabbling around on the Internet looking for tips and tricks of the trade.  Then yesterday I checked out this article online "How to be an extreme couponer in 10 days" and felt like I hit the jackpot of all coupon tutorials.  I totally recommend this link to anyone interested in trying this out:

http://easternshoremom.com/category/become-an-extreme-couponer/

I still need to shell out some cash to get my newspaper subscriptions (for Sunday coupons, which Internet resources recommend getting 2-6 sets of newspapers), so I didn't clip any of those, but in the mean time, I was able to print out some coupons online to get started...so shopping I went, coupons in hand!

Today, I went "couponing" for the first time to basically get a taste of the experience, and to see if I will really want to get those newspaper subscriptions.  I went to Target, and Costco, so no double couponing today.  Costco only allows you to use their store coupons, so I made a list of all the items I needed from their coupon booklet.  I wouldn't say it was anything near or even approaching extreme, and I really didn't end up with huge savings, though it was enough to leave me feeling satisfied.  But, the good thing about this trip, different than any others, is that I stayed focused and only put items in the cart that I had planned on buying/needed/had coupons for and COMPLETELY avoided impulse buys (which saved me about $100 right there.)  Next, I went to Target with a stash of coupons (both store coupons and manufacturer)...but I realized before I went that the Target store coupons were for the store brand, not brand name, so no huge savings there.

So, here are the results:

Costco: 77.89 (including 15.25 saved with coupons)

Target: 35.11 (including 5.00 saved with coupons)

TOTAL: $113 (total saved 20.25 with coupons) for a 15% savings today.

It's no 90% savings, but it was definitely fun enough as an experience to give me a new outlook on shopping.  Brigham is also excited about this new development.  I suppose if you count the money I would have spent in either of those stores on an average trip (usually Target is $60 and Costco is $200) I guess you could say I saved at least 50% today.

homemade cleaning products recipes

Since I have recently turned a new leaf in managing finances, I have realized that this is not just an attitude change, it is actually a complete lifestyle overhaul. The idea of saving money so that we can {sooner than later} progress toward complete financial freedom is making me re-analyze everything I spend money on. The funny side effect is that these discoveries are actually really exciting {I know I am a huge dork}, and they will help with the budget.

Now if I can only get over my aversion to the nauseating smell of vinegar...I'll be able to try these formulas out!

Here is what you need to make your own cleaning products:

For laundry detergent, you need 1 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer), 1/2 cup borax (20 Mule Team), 1 bar soap (I use whatever’s cheap, in this case Pure & Natural), Approximately 3 gallons water

For kitchen and bathroom floors you need a mixture of 1 gallon of hot water with ½ cup of white vinegar. The mixture is safe for hardwood, linoleum, tile, and pretty much every washable surface. You can also use this to clean your entire bathroom, not only floors.

To make your own dishwasher liquid use water with lemon juice. All you need is ¼ cup of lemon juice and ¾ cup of warm water.

To make a disinfectant spray mix a ½ cup of borax with 1 gallon of hot water.

To clean your windows use a mixture of 1 cup of water, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.

For cleaning kitchen cabinets use a mixture of ¼ cup lemon juice dissolved in 1 gallon of hot water.

Toilet bowl cleaner can be made by mixing ¼ cup of baking soda with 1 cup of vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and scrub it with brush.

Brigham's version of "frugal"

While I was writing my other post this morning (Our Week as Cheap-O's), Brigham was on his own computer working on some music stuff. Even though we've been talking about money a lot this week, when he kept bugging me to look at the link he sent me, I didn't make the connection. When I finally got around to actually clicking the link (aka when I was done blogging) this was what I saw. What can I say, I guess every little bit counts! At least his heart is in the game.

http://www.meh.ro/2011/06/10/low-budget-x-men/

Our week as Cheap-O's

A couple of weeks ago on the way to spend a day at the beach, I was at a friends house (picking her up) and spotted the Dave Ramsey book Total Money Makeover, and she let me borrow it. Every now and again, I'll find a good read that takes me from the usual "willing myself on" from one page to the next, to "wow this is fantastic did I already just read 100 pages?" The Total Money Makeover was just that, but the best part is, that it has completely motivated me to actually really do what the title suggests.

A little background here will be helpful, probably, to put into perspective why this idea is appealing to us. Prior to last summer, when we got married, Brigham and I had essentially lived completely debt-free lives, meaning, until the age of 26, neither of us acquired a cent of student loan or credit card debt, and had never personally felt the burden of "interest never sleeping." However, our decision to move to Boston immediately after we got married so that Brigham could attend the Boston Conservatory of Music was one that required loans. Lots and lots of zeros on the end of a 1 (by the time he graduates) are now our friendly companions, never too distant to forget about.

Some people would be more inclined to bury their heads in the sand and/or embrace the feeling "I'm screwed for the next 20 years", but that attitude only causes us stress, and it simply doesn't work for us. When we were making the decision to come here in the first place for this opportunity, we carefully and prayerfully considered the financial cons, yet all signs pointed to yes and all of the doors opened for us to walk through. We prayed individually and felt confirmed in our decision and encouraged to move in this direction. We have been nothing but blessed beyond measure in every way since we moved here, and I have a hard time believing the Lord will leave us in a bad financial situation for doing what is right for our family. It's time to increase our faith, and we all know that faith without works is dead.

So, there is hope for us. The signs: a few weeks ago, I simultaneously finished the Dave Ramsey book, we wrote out a budget for August, moved into a more affordable apartment, and I started a better paying job (30% raise). It was the perfect opportunity to start a financial experiment to kick-start our new Money Makeover attitude.

The experiment was "Lets see if we can go a whole week without spending any money."

The results, I have to admit, give me even more hope. First off, Brigham was actually excited to get up and pack his own lunch each day. We did spend money, but not nearly as much as normal, and each night, because Brigham and I reported our day to each other, we felt more like a team and in love with each other. Aside from our regular fixed monthly expenses due this week, like our rent, phone bill, and subway passes, which aren't noted below, we did pretty well.

Here are the actual results:

Monday: $0

Tuesday: $4 - 15 min parking

$10 - brig gave money to a bum

Wednesday: $2 - 1 breakfast muffin

Thursday: $17 - date/dinner (our one date for the week)

Friday: $0

Saturday: $2 - drink while on an outing downtown

$12 - 3 books (Borders going out of business sale)

$16 - groceries

Total: $63.00

Considering we spent more than this on one date (dinner and a movie) and then some on other stuff we didn't need the week before, its a huge improvement. And the best part is, the feeling of accomplishment and gratification we felt on Saturday was even better than the feeling of having saved some petty cash; in fact, it's propelling us to do exactly the same thing this week!

Who knew being a cheap-o could be so rewarding?!