Hello, all! So the journey in May to save is going quite well. Due to storms and the business of May, I have been away from blogging. But, I am back to share what I've seen around.

First, the garage sale went great. So, we took that money and used it for first of the month needs so we can save more out of our budget. That way, it would be easier to pull that money for savings or emergencies.

Second, found some good deals I'd like to share. Target (in our area) has children's clothing on sale for anywhere from 2 dollars up. I even snagged some onesies and outfits for two bucks for next fall/winter. Same at Kohl's- great clearance, especially today! I was able to use our ten dollars Kohl's cash from last month and get two nice, new brand name shirts for only tax- 1 and some change. Nice! It pays to think ahead to the next season- you can sasve a bundle on things in the future, especially coats and such. Target also had some food clearance- Jello cups (pack of four) for 1.67 and Del Monte pears for about the same. Make it a habit to check the clearance in each department before going to the main priced items. I found a long-sleeved shirt for my hubby for 3.67 and a Merona purse (putting up for Christmas) for 7- it was on clearance and I had a Target coupon for 5 dollars off! Also, Merona t-shirts were on sale so I got one for myself with a 2 dollar off coupon so it ended up being about 6. I needed a new white one so yea! Let me heavily encourage you to visit Target's website. They have daily deals and they have coupons that vary and that you can stack with manufacturer coups.

I also saw that using a coupon found in the paper plus a sale on razors equaled a five dollar gift card at Target. As you may have noticed, it is cheaper to buy the razor with the cartridge in it. So, Target had a sale on razors (Breeze for 6 and some change). I used the coupon, bought two (cheaper than cartridges), and got a five dollar gift card. I used it the next day to buy clothes for the baby that were on clearance. If you need the product and have the coupon, seize the deal. It's recessionomics, folks.

Also, Toys R Us just sent out a flyer with coupons to perks customers that had coupons- one for 20 percent of most anything in the store. They give those out quite a bit. So, you could use it on a small item and get a great deal. They were also clearing out clothes and there is a wonderful formula coupon in there, as well. Like I say, I go through at least two formulas. So if I can catch them on sale plus a coupon then that is worth it. They also had organic baby food- buy Earth's Best pack and get a five dollar gift card. This is GREAT because organic baby food is hard to come by at a good price- plus, you can come back or simply check out again with the gift card and get free items!

I did venture to Petsmart and was able to score two free cat food Nutro cans with a purchase of a small bag- both of which I needed. If it is the brand you use, don't be afraid to try a smaller quantity. Next month, or next pay period, it is highly likely they will have another deal with that brand. So small can save more money in the long run.

Schnucks and Deirburgs had a few good deals. I did get Sarah Lee bread with a coupon for 99 cents and 10/10 organic Stoneyfield yogart- which I love to buy! The challenge in savings for our family is organic (on dairy and thin skinned veggies/fruits when possible). We do this as a health and cancer prevention exercise. Deirburgs had organic lettuce for 2/5 with a 1 stick on coupon. So I paid 2 bucks a piece for big bins of organic lettuce instead of 4 a piece- same price as regular lettuce.

Ok, so these are a few deals and steals. So, how are your savings going? Is there something that you want to brag about? Post below!

Garage Sale

So, today starts final preparations for a garage sale. I decided that since I usually start a month spending, I'd start this month selling. We have tons of things that need to be purged from our house for organizational reasons anyway. I am also about to make my own list and scour for some deals...so, tip of the day- can you sell something you don't need to bring in some cash flow? Even if you don't have enough for a garage sale, there are many sites (besides e-bay) that you can post items for sale. Strive to clean out and up twice a year,especially with kiddos,and bare minimum once a year. Hey, you just might find something you forgot you had, which could save you money in the long run! More tomorrow...

Where else can you possible find coupons? Check out All For You magazine. They have gobs of them! Also, there are some in the circulars with the advertisements that come to your house for free. You can find them on the actual products (they are called tags) that you buy and often in the stores on the shelves. Sometimes, coupon "angels" leave them near products if they are for things they cannot use. Often, when you visit a store, you will get coupons that print out with your receipt. The best kind of papers to get are Sunday papers- if you threw out last Sunday's, ask around. Perhaps a family member has one you can have- which is great! That means you don't have to buy one at all. Happy clipping!

The Beginning

So in the past year, I've quit my job, stopped grad school and moved in support of my husband, but largely to take care of my Mama, who has cancer. We've also added another addition to our house- a blessing! But, things have gotten more expensive. I have decided to try an experiment for the next month- and maybe (hopefully) longer. How much money could I "earn" by saving on deals and coupons? In the long run, would it actually be cheaper for me to remain a stay at home Mama? Hmmmm...let's find out!

If you want to join me on this journey, please do the following before May 1st. First, you are gonna need some coupons and a way to store them.
1. Get organized- grab some form of organization (envelopes or a coupon holder at Target for a dollar in the dollar spot).
2. Grab some scissors, coupons from the Sunday paper, and get clippin'!
3. Organize your coupons by category.
4. Save your free advertisements that come in the mail to local stores.
5. No Sunday paper? Try redplum.com or coupons.com . Also, Target.com has great coupons as well!

Enough for now- don't want to overwhelm you. Find, clip, organize... see you later!