personal finance in a coupon blog

When it comes to getting married, most people have the basics covered. Where they'll live. Whether or not they'll have kids. What color dinner plates they'll register for.

The one thing that many don't discuss before walking down the aisle is their finances. In fact, studies have shown that nearly one in five couples don't talk about their financial situation until after marriage, and a full 15% don't even discuss it after they get married. "Before walking down the aisle and saying 'I do,' there is a long list of wedding to-dos for brides and grooms," says ING retirement coach Barbara Taylor. "Often left off the wedding checklist are financial to-dos like getting on the same page about debt, retirement savings or money values, and mapping out the finances of your life and retirement dreams."

Having these important discussions ahead of time will help you build a strong foundation with your partner, says Taylor. So what exactly should you be discussing? Taylor shares her top six discussions to have here. Read More »

Now that you are pregnant you are probably dreaming of decorating your new baby's room, but then realize that it could cost you a fortune. There are so many pieces of furniture to consider, bedding, accessories and more!

Here are 5 tips on how to decorate a baby room on a budget:

1. Paint the room a neutral color if you plan on using it for another purpose in the future. My husband and I had planned for this bedroom to be my office, but when we found out we were expecting we realized it would have to be a nursery. We plan on having our 2 girls share a bedroom when they are older, so it only made sense to paint it one time. We chose a neutral color, that way when it becomes an office we don't have to repaint. Read More »

A couple weeks ago I shared some thoughts on owning an ultrabook, ultimately trying to answer the question of whether these thinner, lighter laptops are worth the money. Read More »

This week we're discussing pregnancy on the blog. With Spring and Summer finally arriving, there's also a boom in babies happening as well. I'm sure there's a logical, scientific, birds-bees reason for this, but we won't go into all that...

Instead, let's talk about some ways to save and have a frugal pregnancy. Much safer topic, right? ;)

1. The clothes.

As if it wasn't bad enough that we have to purchase an entirely new wardrobe, but we also have to deal with the knowledge that this expensive, new line of clothing will only be worn for a few months. That's why it's imperative to be as frugal as possible in purchasing your pregnancy wardrobe. 

• Become a thrift shop guru. 
• Hit up the consignment sales at local Churches. 
• Plan to go to some garage sales. 
• Check the clearance racks in the maternity section at the stores in your area.
• Connect with friends or family that have recently been pregnant, and see if they are willing to pass on some hand-me-downs. 
• Still struggling? Find a pregnancy support center in your area (GIYF). 

Read More »

Thinking about going organic, but have a strict budget? There are many things you can do to eat organic without breaking the bank. Here are my top five:

1. Create A Price Book: Create a price book or list of organic prices at the different stores in your area. This will help you when creating your shopping list as well as letting you know when something goes on sale, if you should stock up at that price. Keep it with your coupons to access it while shopping easily.

2. Clip Coupons: Yes, there are a lot of coupons for organic products, including organic produce, eggs, dairy and more! Earthbound Farms, Organic Valley, Rumiano Cheese and other companies offer coupons on their websites, Facebook pages and with aggregators like coupons.com. Read More »

Spring is here and so is a golf freebie! Get a free grip and installation by following the instructions on the linked page. You can also score a free Schick Hydro Razor by sending a text from your mobile device.

Marlboro has several freebies going on as well (try to get them all, but you'll have to be quick if you want one). If you have locations near you, you can get a free milkshake, free cone and free pretzel this week too!

Freebie #1: Mio Liquid Energy Enhancer - Stop by a participating 7Eleven location Tuesday, April 23rd to pick one up.

Freebie #2: Multi Color Crystal Stud Earrings - Offer from 1SaleADay.

Read More »

Composting is great for helping your plants grow, preventing certain plant diseases and deterring some pests in your garden. Composting also helps prevent food scraps and yard waste from heading to the landfill, and saves you money on gardening products you would otherwise buy at the store.

You can compost inside on your countertop or outside, but if you are just starting out, I suggest trying a kitchen compost to see how you like it.

Here are four simple steps to get started: Read More »

This Earth Day, I'm happy that...

...reusable bags are all the rage and that grocery stores are starting to give them away for free. Some stores like CVS and Target give you cents off for each bag you use.

...I can buy store brand organic products for much less than national brand organics. I'm not so happy when only the wealthy can afford to be green.

...my Target brand cereal box has been revamped to include 50% post-consumer recycled content and that they've done away with the inner bag all together. Hooray for store brands taking the lead!

...the combination of higher diaper prices and killer diaper deals has meant you can get greener disposables like Seventh Generation for the same price as Pampers or Huggies. Read More »

Stepping into my kitchen is always fun, as I pass the pots of green filled with fragrant smells and beautiful leaves ready to be plucked and added to soups, stews, breads or whatever else I take a fancy to. 

Fresh herbs in the kitchen are a delight, and they are actually pretty easy to grow. With Spring arriving, many of you out there are wanting to get some gardening done. The sad truth is that most people will start to garden, and then end up failing because they take on too much right off the bat. 

An easy way to start gardening is to just begin by growing some indoor herbs. Here are some of my favorite herbs to grow, that are also very easy to grow.

1. Pineapple Sage. This easy-to-grow sage plant smells of heavenly pineapple. It's perfect for soups, stews and Italian dishes, but I'm particularly a fan of just smelling its beautiful aroma on a daily basis. 

2. Cilantro. This plant is so hearty, that it's pretty near impossible to kill. So if you have a thumb that is nowhere near a shade of green, then this should make you happy. Cilantro is great for when you're wanting to add a little bit of oomph to Mexican night.  Read More »

Every year, laptops go missing by the millions. Because they're small and highly portable (natch), they're easy pickings for thieves. I have several friends and family members whose homes were robbed, and every one of them lost at least one laptop. Talk about a rotten day.

However, while stolen TVs and jewelry can't call for help, laptops can--if you stock them with theft-recovery software. And by all accounts your best option is Absolute Software's LoJack for Laptops.

It's not what I would call a super-cheap solution, but at least there's a deal to be had: Buy one LoJack subscription, get a second for 50 percent off. Read More »

Earth Day is right around the corner. Whether your composting, living off the grid or using environmentally friendly cleaning products, you'll be reducing your carbon footprint and saving money all at the same time.

The truth is that if we don't take care of the environment, there are harsh consequences that we must face. The air quality will worsen over time (which it already has), our food supply would die and either we won't have water to drink or the water will be heavily polluted.

If you've been having a tough time making the transition to a greener lifestyle, let money be your motivation. Making green choices will help you save money in the long run and will also help contribute to a healthier lifestyle. We have 4 ways that will help you get started on becoming eco-friendly: Read More »

Now that tax day is over and done with, we can finally focus on things less stressful. If you're one of the lucky ones that got a return, you'll be able to put it to good use. Whether it's planning for that family trip to the big islands of Hawaii or use it to pay down credit card debt, you'll be happier mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and yes, financially.

For those of us that had to pay Uncle Sam, I guess the good news is that we probably made a lot more than we expected. Although it hurts to pay out (I feel you), you can use this year's tax return as a general guideline to help you plan for next year's tax day and hopefully get a return.

Whether you got money from the IRS or gave money to them, I've got this week's top 5 deals for you (every little bit helps): Read More »