personal finance in a coupon blog

Pregnancy is a time of high emotions, and can often result in emotional, physical, and financial stress. Today we're going to discuss four ways you can save costs and stress by pre-planning while you are pregnant.

1. Shop the Sales Now. While there are certain things you can't buy until you know the sex of your child, there are a lot of things that can be purchased in advance. While my husband and I are preparing to adopt our second child, we have shopped the sales for diapers during the last three years, and currently have a stockpile of diapers to last throughout our child's entire diapering experience. I purchased these diapers by following the deals at sites like Diaper & Baby Coupons and many more.

One of my favorite times to buy is when CVS has diapers for $9.99 a pack, and you get $10 in Extra Care Bucks to spend in the store when you spend $30 on diapers. This means I've paid a net price of less than $7 for each pack of Jumbo diapers that would have been much more expensive at the grocery store. Also, once you do know the sex of your child, then you can really shop the sales for gender specific items. Read More »

Twins – double the fun, double the trouble! But is it also double the cost?

When I found out we were having twins last year I was overwhelmed with excitement. I couldn't believe it, it seemed like a miracle. However, any parent of a twin will admit that along with the joy comes anxiety when you are expecting not one, but two (or more!) bundles of joy. Will we be able to cope with two? Almost immediately I began to do the math in my head, was it going to cost twice as much?

While there is no doubt that having a baby, let alone multiples, comes with a hefty cost, I was delighted to find surprising ways to save when you're having twins. And while unfortunately I have yet to find any discounts on extra sleep for parents of twins, hopefully this will help ease the stress on your wallet. Read More »

Finding out that you're pregnant is one of the greatest news you can get. But with the wonderful news, reality sets in. You may start to ask yourself if you can afford having children or what your diet should be like since you're now eating for 2 or more.

From prenatal vitamins to foods that aren't good for your growing fetus and your checklist for baby essentials, there are a lot of things going on at once.

One thing you'll quickly realize is that having a baby does not come cheap. However, you can make smart choices that will make it affordable. Read More »

Spring is in full bloom, Tax Day is over and done with and Mother's Day is right around the corner.

With this year going by very quickly, it seems that something is going on every week. I've found that gift buying has tripled this year from last. Not only is my friend getting married, I also have 2 kids in school and all those birthdays add up.

With shopping being on my constant to-do list, coupons have become my newest best friends and because of them, I've spent a lot less than last year. So without further ado, I've got this week's top 5 deals for you: 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 »

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 »

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 »

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, so what better way to celebrate it than by going green while saving some green at the same time? A lot of people think that it takes a lot of money in order to help save the planet, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Here are a couple of things you can start doing today that will help you save the planet while saving some moolah. 

1. Get an electric lawnmower. Spring is here and it's time to cut the grass! If you're needing a new lawnmower, go for the electric version so that you don't need to use gasoline to power it. It's a great way to save some money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time!

2. Make your own laundry detergent. Making your own laundry detergent takes about 20 minutes to do, and it will save you a whole lot of cash! Seriously, I mean...like a lot of cash. I make my own laundry detergent and it costs me about .02 cents per load (get the ingredients on sale!). Check out these homemade laundry detergent recipes. They are eco-friendly and economical!  Read More »