Get Your Save On!

If you are like me, then you are constantly trying to figure out how to save money.  When my daughter was born last year, I reduced my hours at work so that I would have more time at home with her.  But with less work came less money.  So began my obsession with budgeting.  I have literally gone through each of our utilities to figure out how to reduce our bills, which meant no more DVR, no more digital cable, and no more high definition television (sorry honey!).  One of our biggest monthly bills is, of course, our grocery bill.  And then we do like to occasionally afford to emerge from our cave and spend some time with the rest of society.  Over time, I have found several coupon websites that have actually been helpful for saving money:

      Most of us know about groupon.  But for those of you who don't, sign up and receive daily emails for specials in your area, including restaurants, shopping, and fun extras, like spa services.

This website is similar to groupon with daily specials and savings sent to your email. 

Find coupons for a specific restaurant in your area or purchase gift cards at discounted prices to use at one of the many selected restaurants near you. 

  CouponMom.com is great because you can tailor your search to the stores you use, including grocery stores, drugstores, warehouse stores, including Costco or Sam's Club, and other National chains, such as Target or Walmart.  You can also find links to other                                                                websites to help you save! 

Find manufacturer coupons for groceries, household products, baby care, pet care, entertainment, and travel. 

 

Not only can you find great recipes on recipe.com but the recipes are tied to coupon and specials at your local grocery stores. 




All of us could use a little extra money in our pockets, so get your save on the easy way!

Here's to the New Year!

My hampers are always full of dirty clothes, my sink is always full of dishes, my living room looks like a toy chest exploded in it, and my bed is NEVER made up.  My life is nothing less than chaotic but I love every minute of it, well almost every minute!   

In addition to being a wife and a mother, I am also a pediatric occupational therapist.  I have learned so much from the children that I treat, as well as from their families.  One of most important things I have learned is that life is about the memories you make.  It is so hard to keep from getting consumed with worrying about the materialistic parts of life, but, at the end of the day, you can't take any of that with you when you go.  I, just like everyone, am guilty about getting stressed over the bills that need to be paid, the cleaning that needs to be done, and the meals that need to be cooked.  After working all day and picking up my one year old daughter from daycare, I find myself getting frustrated that she won't stop pulling at my leg so that I can cook dinner, clean the kitchen, or do whatever it is that needs to be done.  Then one day somebody simply asked me "well, do you ever just stop and give her 5 minutes of your time?".  Well, no, the truth is that I didn't.  Yes, our children need to be fed, they need to be changed, and they need to bathed, but they also need our time.  Time just to sit and play with no specific goal or outcome in mind.  My little girl has already grown so much in the first year of her life; I want to make sure that I take the time to enjoy her...because time is one of those things we can't ever get back.  So, my new year's resolution for 2012? Remember to STOP and enjoy the little moments in life that would otherwise just pass me by.