About Couponing and Deal Getting - Tip of the day

Are you desperately trying to get started couponing? The most common thing I hear from people who are trying to get started couponing is that they are really wanting to save money but are just having trouble matching up the coupons to the sales or that the items they need are not on sale.

Is this you? Do you find yourself ready to save only to be totally put off and disappointed when your Sunday paper has no coupons on the stuff on your grocery list?
First, it isn't about what you can get right away with your Sunday coupons. It's about having an organized system for coupon storage so you can find coupons when you need them weeks, or even months down the line when those items are on sale. That is where you score the good deals.
Example: You may not have a use for Muir Glen Tomatoes and the $1 off 1 coupon doesn't appeal to you. However, two weeks later when Muir Glen Tomatoes go on sale for $.90 each you are gonna be glad you set aside those $1 coupons! That is called 'money making' and you can put that overage towards the rest of your order! This is a stock up deal, too.

Here are some general rules of couponing - they may vary per store but these rules are what most stores follow.

1. You can use one manufacturer's coupon per item. That means on a buy one get one free deal you can use two coupons, one for the item you paid for and one for the free one.
2. You can use one manufacturer's coupon and one store coupon on one item. Say CVS has issued a coupon for Colgate and you have a newspaper coupon for Colgate, too. You can use both of these on one tube of Colgate. This is called stacking and most stores do allow it. The Commissary, however, DOES NOT allow this.
3. Expired coupons are almost never accepted.
4. Some stores accept competitor's coupons. Publix actually encourages this.
5. If the coupon says "one coupon per purchase" this means you can only use one coupon per purchase of one item (that you can't use two of the same coupons on one item). This does not mean you have separate all your orders, though some cashiers will tell you it does. If you are confused by this just give it a while and you will understand what I mean.
6. Your cashier isn't likely to give you any overage in cash but you can usually use your overage toward other groceries on your list. Though some stores don't allow overage at all and will scale any coupons that are worth more than your item down to the cost of the item.
7. Most stores do accept printable coupons. However, it is illegal to photocopy coupons and this can cause a particular store to stop accepting printables all together.
8. Coupon rules are dictated by each store and may differ from one store to another.

I'll tell you, it is mighty frustrating when the cashiers don't know the store's coupon policies. It is even more irritating when the manager doesn't know. Someday I am going to hold a coupon meeting in Isle 3 of Walgreens to let the employees know how to handle the coupons that come through the door. The best thing to do when you know you are in the right is to not get frustrated. I always keep a smile on my face, never talk down to anybody and I make sure to always keep a civil and friendly tone. Then, when I get home I try to call the manager to straighten the issue out or get clarity about a change in policy. If that doesn't work I get a hold of the corporate office. This has helped 100% of the time. It is key to stay nice.

Here are some tips to help out with getting started couponing and deal hunting. It isn't all that hard once you get started and learn your local store's coupon policies.

• Don't just look for sales within your grocery list. In truth, the main food staples we use in our home are rarely on sale. We have a regular grocery shopping budget for things like rice, meats, cheeses, etc... However, since I have been getting other items each week for cheap or free the regular grocery shopping trip has been cut in half!
• Learn to stockpile. By stock piling non-perishables when they are free or very cheap we have turned grocery shopping into a much smaller expenditure. We no longer pay anything (or very little) for toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, feminine products, snacks, shampoo, deodorant, some medicines, peanut butter, make up and more. On weeks we can get this stuff at incredible savings or free I stock up. I can even get cereal at less than $1 a box most weeks!
• Remember others. If I can get something for free, whether we'd use it or not, I always get it for the simple reason that somebody else might need it. I don't have Diabetes but there are many who do and when the testing supplies are available for free I make sure to pick them up to help out others who could benefit. Plus, if you know about Extra Care Bucks then you know this can help with rolling them over before they expire.
• Allow for some diversity and be open to try new things. There are promotions on foods every week we don't normally buy but after sales and coupons they are free or close to free. I always jump on these items. Free food is always allowed in my freezer and with 9 in our family somebody is always hungry and will eat those freebies up.
• Don't be afraid to get creative with dinner. If I get a frozen meal for free or very cheap I look for a way to stretch it across our family's dinner table, unless it is a single serving, in which it will go with my husband for lunch. For example, we got some of those broccoli stuffed and breaded chicken roll up things that come 4 to a box. There is no way that would feed our family but when I cooked it, cut it up, and added it to a bowl of pasta with a mayo/cottage cheese sauce it made more than enough for our family for dinner and was totally delicious.
• Learn to enjoy variety. Snacking on foods that are exceptionally good deals can create variety in a diet and be healthy and yummy. We have been getting a lot of cheap or free yogurt lately. Plus, the All You magazine coupons for Wheat Thins have added to our snack pile, as well as little things at deep discounts at our local discount bread store. My kids have never snacked so healthy.
• Make sweets a special treat. We don't buy soda however, occasionally it is beneficial to my pocket book to pick some up - as was the case this week. What a treat for my kids (and me too)! We have gotten a lot of free gum and very cheap M&Ms, too, in the last few weeks. And Jello...

Other 'rules' of couponing for the Christian wife are:

• Omit any rule above that conflicts with your husband's expressed wishes. If he doesn't like meal experimentation or doesn't enjoy 'surprise' new foods in his lunches then you will have to work around that.
• Stick to a planned budget. If I am planning on spending $20 on my shopping day I only take $30. That way I am less likely to let errors slide at the check out but I have cushion just in case I don't catch something or I need it no matter what. If my detergent was supposed to end up as $1 but it rang up as $4, or if a coupon isn't accepted for some reason, I will kindly ask the cashier to remove the product from my order. I don't budget a lot of room for error which keeps me from going over my budget.
• Be Christian. Seriously. Don't be that lady who everybody in the store remembers because of her bad attitude. You want couponing to be easy - don't be a butt and make things harder on yourself. If a deal doesn't go right kindly smile and ask the cashier to remove the item(s) from your order. I have seen rude couponers. They really do make it a little harder on the rest of us.
• Again, Be Christian. Don't try to fake or pass off coupons that weren't received legitimately. Photocopying a printable then taking 20 of them into a store for freebies will likely cause all of us headaches. Using fraudulent coupons causes stores to crack down on their policies. That can mean no more coupons or very strict coupon rules.
• Don't be a ridiculous couponer. Taking 20 of the same coupon, whether printed or out of a newspaper insert, and using them on 20 items just doesn't look good. My local Walgreens has had this issue and actually stopped allowing many coupons for a short while. After talking to the store manager about this strange change I found out that one lady was coming in with more than 20 legitimate coupons from newspaper inserts, all the same for the same product and was buying out their shelves getting everything for free. Technically, the shopper wasn't doing anything wrong or fraudulent. However, she was a ridiculous couponer and looked suspicious and almost ruined it for all of us.

Finally, think of everything as a gift from God. If you get to the point where you are not using His gifts wisely, are turning greedy with your coupons, deals, and freebies, or you aren't glorifying Him anymore you have probably gone a bit too far. Take a step back, re-evaluate, and start again.

I'd love to add your tips - just leave a comment!

Register Rewards - Making Walgreens Work For You

Today I am going to write about Walgreens Register Rewards. I have been slightly confused about them but after talking to the cashier and a manager yesterday everything is starting to make sense.

First, what is a Register Reward or RR? A Register Reward is printed off after a certain item or combination of items are purchased from Walgreens. These deals change week to week and can be spotted in the Walgreens circulars. The RRs that are printed off can be used like cash at any Walgreens as long as you pay attention to the expiration dates on the RRs and follow a few easy rules.

Let me give you a few examples of some of the rules I have learned in the last month.

You have to owe more than the amount your RR is worth - this total cannot include medicines and pharmacy items. (in most stores)
Example:
Yesterday I went to Walgreens and picked up 6 boxes of South Beach Living Cereal Bars, 4 bottles of Robitussin, and 2 toothbrushes. My total after coupons was just over $7 and I planned to get a $10 register reward and send in for a $5 rebate for buying the SB cereal bars. I tried to pay with a $4.50 register reward from my Crest ProHealth purchase on my Wednesday trip but it just wouldn't scan. The manager came over to see if she could help but between all of us we figured it out.
The medicine. Apparently you can't use register rewards to pay for medicines. They are in some special category.
Without the medicine in my order my total was less than $4.50 so I could not use my register reward to pay for it.

You cannot buy two of the same product offering RRs and expect two RRs to print off.
Example:
I purchased 2 Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash for $4.50 on Wednesday because there was a $4.50 Register Reward (RR) on them. This was an unlimited deal this past week. I purchased them in 2 separate orders. You see, putting them in one order would only grant me one $4.50 Register Reward. Purchasing them separately got me two $4.50 RRs.

You can't use a RR from one product purchase to purchase an identical product and get another RR.
Example:
When I purchased the Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash I received my $4.50 RR. I could have used it on the next order to pay for the second Crest Pro-Health however, I would not have gotten my second RR. You cannot roll RRs over on identical products and get another register reward. You can use a register reward from an unrelated deal like a $3 reward from a different product, just not one from an identical deal to what you are doing.

I always try to plan my trips around the RRs I have to use. If I know I need to have $10 in my purchase to use a $10 RR I will add in a free after rebate item. If my RR reward is about to expire and I can't pull a deal together to equal more than the amount of my RR I will add in a must have item so I don't loose that 'cash'.

Walgreens is considerably less complicated than CVS. Just pay attention and plan out your Walgreens attack in advance of your trip and you will find it easy to come away with free or extremely cheap goodies (after RRs and Rebates, of course ~:O)

These coupon magazines, catalogs, and such - Tip of the day

When I first started couponing I was really confused reading about All You magazines, Easy Saver Catalogs, and Beauty Books. I didn't know where to find any of these, whether they cost money, were found in a store or my mailbox. Here is a rundown with a few pictures of the coupon publications I have found to be a benefit to my deal shopping. If you have any you would like me to add feel free to let me know and I will add it and give you credit.

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All You magazine

This is a monthly publication found at Walmart with tons of great coupons in them. I always buy 4 to 6 copies a month and they pay for themselves quickly. Sometimes this is in their magazine section and sometimes it is in the checkout line. Sometimes both. My Walmart switches it up on me often so I always have to go looking for them. They are $1.77 to $1.99 each.

Publix Summertime Savings Booklet

NO PIC (if you have one please send it to me and I will add it and give you credit)
These were found at Publix over the summer and can still be found at some Publix now. Our Publix just opened a few weeks ago so I haven't seen this booklet. It is free.

Walgreens Easy Saver Booklet

The Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog can be found at your local Walgreens for free. It is packed with Walgreens coupons and rebate information. You will definitely not want to miss picking one of these catalogs up if you are a Walgreens shopper.

CVS Extra Value Book

This book doesn't have coupons in it but if you are a regular CVS shopper you will want to pick one up each month. They are available at your local CVS and are very easy to spot. These booklets will tell you about all the monthly Extra Care Buck deals so that you can plan your trips easily. Many of these deals aren't mentioned in the weekly CVS circular.

Any you think should be added? Let me know and I will do my best to find out what I can about them. Just leave a comment!

Dealing With Coupon Nazis - Tip Of The Day

I haven't had too much trouble with coupons besides the occasional putting something back that didn't scan right or because of a coupon I misread. There was a sweet Walgreens clerk who was confused once but after I talked to her manager everything was straightened out. I would not call this person a coupon nazi (a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to control a specified activity, practice, etc.). She was just trying to follow the rules and she was very kind about the whole thing.

However, yesterday while I was out I managed to get in the line of two coupon nazis.

First, I know it can be pretty irritating when a woman walks into a checkout line with 6 kids in toe and a handful of coupons. Especially when another kid a few checkout lines over is climbing on a closed conveyor belt and checkout counter. Yes, he was climbing all over it without being scolded by his mom. So, I can understand how it may look when I step up to check out. However, my kids are well behaved, don't touch anything, are talkative and smiley with the clerks, and good natured. Still, once a cashier is on edge...

First coupon nazi - Target:

This particular lady didn't like my All Small & Mighty coupons because I was using them for a trial sized product. I pointed out that it doesn't exclude trial size on the coupon but that it wasn't a big deal and I could just put them back. By then, however, Chase (the day manager?) had come over, read the coupon and said, "yes, this is fine". The woman gave him an 'are you sure' type look like he was just being ridiculous but he just smiled and reiterated that the coupons were fine to use with that product. I got my 3 All Small & Mighty for free much to the chagrin of the cashier.
But wait! There was a Johnson's coupon that she didn't like either. The picture on it wasn't what I was purchasing but it did say 'on any Johnson's product'. She told me that the product on it wasn't in my bag but after I pointed out the wording she looked over at Chase and just decided to scan it in - shaking her head in disapproval.

Then, even worse was the coupon Nazi I ran into at Walmart. She didn't like the buy 3 Kraft get a free product coupons that came out of Walmart's All You magazine.
I knew that she would have to write the price in on each coupon so I separated them from the rest of my order and handed her the coupons together to make it easier on her. She looked at them (I had 5 for 5 different products) and laid them out on the counter, looked at my order, and very rudely stated, "Well, it doesn't look like you can use any of these because YOU didn't get the proper amount of Kraft items".
When I politely pointed out that the 15 packs of Kool-Aid were, in fact, Kraft items and the deal had already worked for me with no hiccups a number of times she said, "Well, we'll just see if they scan, things are always changing on our machines when mistakes are made with coupons". I didn't push it farther. Kool-Aid was still a Kraft product and I knew it. Not only did my coupons scan without a beep but all of my other 15 or so coupons scanned just fine, too, even though she was very careful to match up each coupon to the products I had in my order like I was pulling some kind of scam on Walmart.
I was able to walk out of there feeling good because I kept my cool and managed to get $42 worth of stuff for just $9. My kids were with me and saw my good attitude, too.

Dealing with coupon nazis can be frustrating but if you approach couponing with the right attitude you may walk away slightly disappointed but you will never feel pushed passed the bring of minor frustration. Here are some tips to help out when you run across a coupon nazi - and if you use coupons regularly and in abundance you will eventually run across one of these coupon poo-pooers.

• Don't take it personally. It isn't you that the cashier is upset about, it may just be the general use of many coupons. Or, maybe she is having a very tough day, week, or time in her life. You never know what is behind her attitude.
• Always smile. Even when the cashier gets rude keep your best smile on. Competing with her in rudeness isn't likely to get you anywhere.
• Be prepared before you walk into the store to put items back that aren't working like you intended. If the cashier doesn't cooperate on a particular item just politely say something like "It really isn't a big deal, just go ahead and take it off my order". You can always try again later with a different cashier.
• Do not show frustration. Seriously, this will egg your cashier on. Competing with your cashier for a couple of dollars is really not worth it. Don't let free food turn you into a greedy, unlikeable person.
• If you truly feel you were wronged you can always call the store's cooperate office when you get home. I have done this twice and it worked like a charm. I was very polite and made sure I gave a compliment on the store about something before I made my complaint. Also, both times the managers of the particular stores called me within a few days. I gave both compliments about their stores before we discussed the problem and both times that set the entire conversation at ease.
• Remember, the items in your cart are not yours until you have paid for them. You have no right to them while they are in your cart or on the checkout counter. Keeping this idea in your head will keep you from feeling duped when something doesn't go right and you have to put items back. You must be prepared to take 'no' for an answer sometimes.
• Couponing is not an exact science. One store may welcome coupons while the identical store down the street has extremely strict coupon rules. Go with the flow. Take it easy. Be thankful for the good deals you get and shrug off the ones that don't go so well.
• Like I said above - be prepared to request that certain items be taken off your order. Always state this with a smile.
• You can always talk to the manager on duty but be sure not to get rude or show irritation. You don't want your attitude to cause you to be remembered as 'that woman'.
• Compliment, compliment, compliment. Saying something nice in an irritating situation can diffuse the bomb quickly.
• And finally, God's provisions are enough. Remember the story of Moses and the manna that fell from the sky? At first the people were thankful but very quickly this gift wasn't enough to satisfy them. Don't be like those people! Remember that God has supplied these deals for you. If they don't work out just move on happily knowing that He does and will continue to give you what you need.

Disappointment is a part of life. It is how we handle tough situations that speaks the most about us. I have made my share of mistakes and learned a lot. I have had times where I felt horrible about my attitude after an issue even though I was totally in the right. Sometimes, having the perfect witty comment at the perfect time isn't the perfect solution at all. Say little, smile much, and go with the flow.

Stretching Your Dish Detergent - tip of the day

You don't really have to purchase dish detergents at crazy prices. Here are a few tips to stretching your dishwasher detergent and your dollar at the same time.

Tip#1 - If you choose to purchase a regular dish washing detergent from the grocery store you can still stretch it to make it last twice as long or longer. The recommended amount to use is way more than you actually need. When running your dishwasher try only using 1 TBS in each compartment. This should be plenty for a thorough washing. If it isn't enough experiment by upping the amount just a little at a time.

Tip#2 - Try mixing your regular powder detergent with equal parts borax and baking soda. Then only use 1 TBS per compartment per load of dishes. Don't be fooled by the small boxes of borax and baking soda. These powders are heavy and go a very long way.

Tip#3 - We just use a borax and baking soda mixture - equal parts of each, 1 TBS in each compartment. This works just fine for us but, depending on your water type you may want to use tip#2 instead.

Tip#4 - Use vinegar as your rinse aid. Vinegar works very well for this job and is very inexpensive.

Tip#5 - Lemon Kool-Aid (not the sugary stuff, just the little mix packet) can give your dishwasher a nice lemony fresh smell while running.

Do you have any other great kitchen cleaning tips? I would love to hear them and I am sure my readers would like them, too. Either leave a comment or add write about it on your blog and add your link to Mr. Linky below. Just remember to link back to us here at Frugalheart.blogspot.com in your post.

Homeschool Materials - Tip Of The Day

Do you homeschool or do your children go to school but you enjoy supplementing at home? School books can be crazy expensive and if you are on a budget it can be very hard to shell out money for homeschooling materials each year - sometimes multiple times year.
For the frugal mom there are a number of homeschooling resources to help you get materials at a discount.
A new one I found is Paper Back Swap. I have written about this club I found before and you may have heard of Paper Back Swap as a great book trading club for fiction reading material but did you know that you can also find tons of schooling materials here as well?

Paper Back Swap is a free club that opened up a way for you to trade books with others all over the country! When you sign up and add 10 books to your giveaway book shelf you get 2 free book points. Each time you send a requested book to a fellow member you get another book point. The majority of books are 1 point each.
When you request a book from a fellow member you pay nothing. When they request a book from you, you pay shipping to them which is usually about $2. It is super easy to ship - Paper Back Swap has it all set up so you can pay online and just print out a shipping label. You have the option to address and mail it by hand if you prefer.

I was perusing the website when I ran across some teaching materials and I decided to do a more thorough search. I was amazed at the plethora of books and materials people were offering for free!

We have received many books from Paper Back Swap and have been very pleased with this club and how it works. I have nothing bad to say about it.

Doing A Deal - Tip of the day

Going to a store and using coupons, in itself, is easy. Making this work for you and your budget can be a little more complicated. I have come up with a few tips to help remind us that it isn't all about the coupon. There are many ways to keep deals rolling along smoothly trip to trip.

• Be polite and in good spirits even when a deal goes awry. You don't want your favorite store's employees to cringe when they see you coming. You really want them to like you. Keeping a focus on this can turn into a blessing to you in the end.
• If your pre-store visit calculation is around $3 out of pocket cash, take a 10 along with you to cover tax and minor calculation errors. Minor mistakes will become less common the more you deal but, if your deals are extensive it might be more difficult to stand at the register and figure out where you went wrong. Plus, as my first tip advises, you don't want your cashier to hate it when she sees you walk into the store. Be polite, go out to the car or out of the way of other customers, find the error, then go back in with the receipt and your purchase to kindly discuss the error or make a return. If the error is more than $10 I would definitely not pay until it is sorted out, however, be kind to the customers behind you by letting them go ahead while you stand aside and sort through the issue.
• Always have your deals written up and calculated at home before you head to the store to minimize unpleasant surprises.
• Only take your husband with you if he can keep from throwing random items into your cart. Even the most money conscious man loves a sale on gadgets or 'as seen on TV' products (or maybe that is just my hubby). If you like to shop with your hubby, which I do, make sure to perfect 'the eye' so that you won't have to actually tell him 'no'. ~;O)
• Realize that just because you can get a $10 item for $1 doesn't mean you should. Just because it is cheap doesn't make it a good deal if you normally wouldn't have bought it. I only pick up stuff like that if I can get it for free. Example: Clean & Clear. I got 3 bottles C&C products this week for free. I would never have purchased this stuff as a regular part of my grocery shopping trip so I had to make it free to justify picking it up. Second Example (opposite): We do eat cereal. My rule is if it doesn't cost more than $1.25 a box I can buy it. Make sure the deal is a good fit for your family before you put your money down.
• Have a plan for your money. A weekly deal budget is a very good idea. My suggestions is to start with around $20 to $30 cash the first week and then lower your budget after that until you are down to under $5 for CVS and Walgreens type deals as you collect, build, and roll your ECBs, rebates, and RR. You may want to adjust your budget for your area stores and your family's needs but make sure to keep it low.
• STAY HONEST! There is always temptation to photocopy a coupon, especially a printable, but there are limits on these and photocopying usually isn't legal. Don't let bargain hunting turn you to greed. Selling your soul for a good deal is just not worth it and will come back to bite you in the end. Most coupon sites will let you print a coupon twice. Sometime you can find the same coupon on multiple sites and get 4 to 6 copies. Only print what the sites will let you print. Keep yourself in check and you will never have to feel guilty when your cashier is scanning your 24 coupons.
• Don't let bargain hunting overtake your life. I am totally guilty of this one! Although starting out may take more time than you would like and you will get faster as you get the hang of it, don't sacrifice your home and family for the sake of free toothpaste. Allot yourself a specific amount of time, more at the beginning and scaling it down as you get smoother at the process.
• When you are first learning doing deals, as I am now, don't get carried away. It is so easy to see something tagged on the shelf at the store and try to work it into your deal. This may be a good idea as you get smoother at the process but at first it is a good way to make a big mistake, spend more money than you mean to, and end up taking home items you paid for but will never use.
• Try to shop when you don't have to take your kids with you, at least at first. This may sound odd coming from me if you have ever read my other blog however, when you are just learning severe bargain shopping and are confused easily, as I am, even the slightest distraction can cause your deal to crash. If you set aside one day a week where your husband can be home for an hour or a friend can watch your kids (or if you have a built in babysitter like we do, finally) it can be a great benefit to your learning curve. After you get the hang of it I strongly encourage you to take your kids with you so they can see and learn bargain shopping at its finest.
• And last, always have something to write with so you can jot down any deal ideas you run across or store policies that you learn at a new store. If your Walgreens doesn't like printable coupons that is something you will want to remember in the future. Or, if a particular store has a military discount or something similar that pertains to you, or something else you don't want to forget about.

If you have anything to add please comment and let me know and I will stick it here on the list.

Today's Tip - Bread

We buy our bread at a discount bread shop the next town over about twice a month. These bread stores are fairly easy to find in most communities. We purchase the king thin Bunny brand for $1.08 a loaf. This might sound expensive compared to the $.80 or $.90 grocery store bread but let me tell you why it is actually a better, cheaper deal to get king thin bread from a bread store.

Our local bread store offers Bunny bread but you can get king thin in Sunbeam and Marita, too. Also, I have seen unmarked king thin loaves at bread stores.

Compared to the grocery store brand bread that you can buy for around $.80 Bunny bread at $1.08 does seem pricey. Consider this:
A king thin loaf is 1/2 longer than a regular loaf of bread meaning you pay $1.20 in grocery store brand bread to equal $1.08 in bread store king thin bread. Not only that but king thin is sliced thinner giving you more sandwiches for less.
I don't think I have to mention that Bunny, Sunbeam, and Marita bread is much more tasty.

The discount bread store also has great prices on other things. We got 8-packs of Lance Toast Chee cracker snack packs for $0.99 each. And their Bluebird cereal bars (identical in taste to Nutri-Grain cereal bars) for $0.99 a box. Not all their snacks are priced great so make sure you don't buy just because it is there. And pay attention to your receipt!

*Bonus* You can often find heavily discounted breads if you look. We found $0.50 packages of Chipotle Burger Buns up by the register. Since we have a large freezer we bought most of what was left.

Look for a discount bread store in your area. It is well worth the time to take a look and see what they have available.

Piece Of Mind Tip

Crystal over at Money Saving Mom did a post about less cost phone lines, long distance, cell phones and the like. There was some good discussion, however, I wanted to add one other idea.

We got rid of our land line. Not only did this cut our budget quite a bit but we move a lot and our number was constantly changing. I hated having to re-distribute our phone number to all those people every time we changed duty stations. We have Verizon mobile phones and now we can just keep our numbers wherever we go. We like Verizon because of the large calling area it offers.

The only problem with this is that our kids couldn't always reach us easily if they were at a friends house or music lessons or wherever because our numbers are long distance.
There was no way I wanted to add yet another cell phone to our already costly bill, plus giving your teen a cell phone opens up a lot more money issues. We are trying to be frugal ourselves and I want that idea to spill over to my children so they don't have to learn the hard way - like their parents. We solved this issue with $2 a month.
Kall8.com has a terrific deal for adding a toll free number to your phone. We have an 866 number that rings to my cell phone and my kids can call it from anywhere, anytime and get a hold of me. Best of all, it only costs $2 a month to have the number. There is a $.06 charge (or close to it) per minute, too, but we have never exceeded $5 per month with this service.
Not bad for a little piece of mind!

With Kall8 there are no contracts. You can cancel at any time. You can also log into your account online and easily change your features, the phone your number rings to, and utilize the fax program. I have had Kall8 for 2 years now and we love it.

Using Cloth The Right Way

I firmly believe that cloth diapers are better in most ways. They are cheaper than disposables, especially if you choose to do the old fashioned prefold thing. If you go the coop route you can get 4 months worth of prefolds for the price of a couple packs of disposables.
They are quite arguably better for the environment, and you can get adorable covers that make your baby's tush SO cute.
However, for many women these diapers don't end up saving them much money.
Women like me.
Women who become addicted to cloth diapers and spend money 'secretly' to get more of them.
I called it 'building my stash' justifying that we would have more kids and couldn't really have too many cloth diapers.

After a little while I realized that I had issues and I scaled back, for a time. However, I run a cloth diaper coop and I would constantly find myself adding little bits here and there to my stash. Even though I had decided that continuing to buy them at that time was wrong I was still doing it!
But, when Sam, our youngest, turned about 6 months we discovered that cloth diapers were uncomfortable for him. This discovery was made after a month or so of trying to figure out why he was so cranky. We had to put him in disposables for a few weeks while our washer was waiting its turn to be repaired and he stopped fussing.

My cloth diaper buying days were over and I made a new discovery.
Just because a money saving idea seems like a good deal doesn't always mean it is. If you get caught up in it to the point where you are shelling out more money than necessary, becoming dishonest, even passively, and feeling the need to hide things, or just purchasing more of something because you want to and not because you need it you may want to re-think the 'good deal'.

This goes for many aspects of frugal living. Couponing can cause us to spend more, too. Just because we can get something for a good deal doesn't mean we should. Free is one thing but if I have to spend even $0.25 on something that I would never use, even if it normally costs $10, I won't do it.

It's a frugal heart thing.

By the way, I still run the Little Diaper Coop. If you use cloth responsibly you might want to join up!

Budget Cutting - Today's Tip

Today's budget cutting tip:
Don't feel that just because you have used a certain brand of something all along that you have to keep spending more money on it.
I thought Pampers were the bomb in disposable diapers but when I saw that I could get the store brand for half the price I decided to give them a try. You know what? They work just fine! The store brand wipes are working well, too.
And toiletries...
Don't feel that you must keep paying $5 or $6 for a certain brand of shampoo. If you have normal hair you shouldn't ever have to pay more than $1 any toiletries. Most you can actually get for free!
I'll be working my way to getting those things for free myself and I will blog how I do it.