Thrifty Living

Thrifty Living: Organizing Coupons and Getting Started!

by Wendy Black Polisi on September 22, 2009

I know I should use coupons.

They are free AND save money after all!

And the truth is, I’ve tried to be good about coupons.  But somehow I cut them out and they end up in a drawer – only to be uncovered 6 months later.  (After the expiration date of course!)

Or, better yet, they end up in the bottom of my purse and get ruined when someone’s sippy cup accidently leaks.  (Don’t ask why there are sippy cups in my purse – it just happens!)

I think one of the basic problems is that I’ve just never gotten organized!

The first thing you need to decide is where you are going to keep your coupons.  After a little research I have discovered that there are several options:

1.    You can organize on the cheap and use envelops!

2.    Another great cheap idea is to use zip lock bags

3.    You can get a file box

4.    Use a coupon organizer! Check out this one:

Spice of Life Coupon Organizer

Now that you have decided what you are going to keep your coupons in, you need to think about how you will sort them.

Basically, there are three options that are popular.

1.    You can sort alphabetically

2.    You can sort by product

3.    You can sort by expiration date

Next, you obviously need to GET SOME COUPONS!  The Sunday paper is a must!

Here is a great site I found that offers great advice on where to get coupons.

Couponing101

I don’t know, Stephanie, the site owner well but, I can tell you that the lady knows her stuff!  I’m sure she’s one of those mom’s who goes into a store and spends $40 and comes out with a ton of stuff!  Be sure to check her site out for experienced couponing advice. :)

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Thrifty Living : My Confession

by Vincent Polisi on September 9, 2009

If you are currently facing credit issues, repairing your credit may seem like the most important thing to focus on.

But it isn’t.

Yes, it is important. But the reality is that it is just as important to think about what caused the credit challenges in the first place and address these issues.  Unless you do, it is just a matter of time before you end up right back where you are.

Yes, it is easy to blame a divorce, lost job or failed business for our credit challenges.

But, for most of us, if we had planned better in the first place, we would have been in a better situation to weather the storm.

Now here is my confession: I find thrifty living….hard…

Give me a credit bureau and I can analyze the strengths and weaknesses in seconds and come up with a strategy to improve the score.

Calculate a debt to income ration – no problem!

Create a personal balance sheet – easy!

But couponing?  I’m clueless.

(I have total awe for people who brag : I just got $100 worth of groceries for $42.68! How do they do that????)

Feeding a family on a budget?  Not my forte.

Conserving Energy…well, you get the idea.

The truth is that I probably spend MORE than the average person, even though I SHOULD know better.

Fortunately for us all, there are a lot of good resources out there on the web!  (And some really smart mommy bloggers!)

So, even though I can’t claim to be an expert in frugal living, (at least I’m honest!) I hope you will go on this journey with me.  Learning to manage your money wisely is one of the most important things you can do for your family.

And frugal living?  It just makes sense!

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