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Work at Home Truths
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Personal Finance

Back to School Saving Tips

It’s that time of year again – time to get the kids ready for school! Back to school season is just as fun for moms as it is for the little ones. But, it’s even more enjoyable for the moms that can get the most bang for their buck on back to school shopping!

If you’re ready to learn how to shop for school supplies ’til you drop without dumping your money into overly priced products, read the back to school shopping tips featured below.

Thrift Stores

Thrift shopping is often frowned upon because the items are secondhand, and you might fear that they may be dirty and germy. However, a quick wash in the laundry will do the trick for most used clothing items. Thrift stores, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, often run tag sales. Sometimes all items with pink tags are priced 50% off, or items with red tags are priced under $3.50.

These items can include jeans, brand name suits, and shoes, among other things. Sometimes, you can score an entire secondhand wardrobe for under $25! But of course, you have to be a savvy shopper. When you learn to shop the tag sales at thrift stores, you’ll be able to dress your children for pennies on the dollar!

Make Use of Your $1.00 Store!

Did you know that dollar stores in your area may actually accept coupons on their already discounted merchandise? The most notable dollar retailer that accepts coupons is Dollar General. However, by checking the FAQ of your local dollar store’s website, you’ll be made aware of their coupon policy.

If you have a $1 coupon off an item that you’re going to purchase at the dollar store, you’re going to score the item for free! Thankfully, if you have coupons for a large quantity of items you need, you may be able to score half, or even more, of your back to school shopping deals for nothing but a few cents in tax.

Stockpiling Coupons

If you have three kids or more, it makes sense to consider stockpiling coupons for school supplies as soon as you can. A little trick that many savvy coupon moms like to use is stockpiling coupons for the essentials by purchasing the newspaper, printing online and requesting that coupons be directly mailed to their mailbox.

By the end of the summer, the coupon moms that stockpile coupons often find reduced deals because the items have been on the shelf for most of the summer. Often times, many items end up being free or laughably cheap.

Shopping a Year Early

When you go back to school shopping, it may be tempting to simply shop a few weeks before the semester begins, like most parents. But, if you purchase items, such as binders, pieces of clothing, pencil holders, etc. just a few weeks after school has begun, just about everything in the store will be marked down considerably.

To further your savings, sign up for email newsletters of all of your favorite stores. Stores like JCPenney send out quarterly coupons for 10% to 15% off of all of their merchandise, including their sales items. It isn’t uncommon to find children’s shorts and t-shirts on sale for less than $5. So, the savings can be considerable.

There are so many ways to save on back to school shopping for your family. You can stockpile coupons, shop for free (with coupons) at the dollar store, and even go shopping a year early in order to get your shopping out of the way completely.

If you’re willing to invest your time, and keep an eager eye, you’ll be able to score amazing deals for both school supplies and clothing.

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Setting a Realistic Wedding Budget

You have dreamed about your wedding day since you were a child. You might have envisioned fairy tale dresses, plush limousines, hundreds of your closest friends and family members, and dancing until dawn. After all, this is your special day and you want to give your new life the best start you can.

Now that it’s approaching, reality is setting in. You know you deserve all of your dreams, but perhaps you’re not sure just how you’ll pay for them. You could max out your credit cards, but starting your married life deeply in debt doesn’t sound so romantic. You need to set a budget.

Setting a realistic wedding budget doesn’t mean you need to forget the fairy tale. It simply means you need to prioritize and plan how you will spend your money. That way you will be able to afford the things that are most important to you. And you will be able to start your married life without unnecessary, burdensome debt.

Begin setting your budget by setting your priorities. You have a vision of what you want your wedding to look like. But it’s time to take a more realistic approach. Decide which of the items you want to include are must haves, which are optional, and which would just be nice to have, but you could do without if you needed to.

Determine how much you can spend. How much money do you have saved for your wedding? How much will you be able to save before the big day? It’s important to be honest about how much you really can afford. That will help you avoid a lot of problems and conflicts as you plan your wedding, and ensure that you don’t create additional stress by running out of money too soon.

Decide how much you will spend on each area. Now that you know your priorities, and you know how much you have to spend, you can decide how much money you will spend on each area of your wedding. One way to organize this is to create a notebook sheet for each expense, such as dress, flowers, invitations, and write down your budget for that area.

Budget for the unexpected. As carefully as you plan, you may still have some unexpected expenses. If you overspend in one area, remember you’ll have to make up for it by spending less on something else.

Be creative. There are many ways you can cut down on the high cost of a beautiful wedding. Perhaps you can make your invitations so you can spend more money on your wedding dress. Do you have a friend who loves to cook for a crowd? Maybe she would like to help prepare the wedding feast. You can even rent your wedding dress, if you need to cut down in that area and spend more on others.

Setting a realistic wedding budget doesn’t mean you can’t have the wedding you always dreamed of. It is only a means of making it affordable so you can enjoy your day, without worrying about how much it cost.

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Great Wedding Favors on a Budget

When you’re planning your wedding, one of the things you’ll want to remember to budget for are the wedding favors. These are the souvenirs that your guests will take home from your wedding as a thank you for participating in your special day. So, this is not an area where you want to scrimp. You hope that your guests will enjoy your gift to them, and see it as a token of your appreciation. However, you don’t want to blow your budget on buying wedding favors either. Here are some ideas for great wedding favors on a budget.

Bulk gifts. Items like candy and potpourri can make lovely wedding favors. You can buy them pre-packaged from bridal shops, but it is smarter to buy them in bulk and package them yourself. Instead of shopping at an expensive wedding store, visit a grocery or hobby shop for discount pricing. To create your own gift wrapped packages, wrap bundles of the bulk item in tulle and tie with a ribbon.

Make homemade treats. For a personal touch, make homemade treats to give to your guests. Special cookies are always welcome. If you make homemade candy, that can also be a nice gift. When you wrap them up, add a handwritten note thanking your guests for sharing your day with you. It will be an extra special touch that will make your favour all the more meaningful.

Candles and votives. Candles and votives can be beautiful reminders of your wedding day. Look for candles in the same colors as your wedding decorations. Almost everyone enjoys candles so it is a practical gift as well. These are also very affordable when purchased at discount or bulk stores.

Bubbles. For a fun twist and lots of laughs, give each guest a small bottle of bubbles as a thank you. Tie a note with the date of your wedding around the neck of the bottle. These will provide entertainment during the reception too, as most guests won’t wait until they get home to blow their bubbles.

Make Music. Another idea is to burn a CD of music to commemorate your special day and give a copy to each guest. Be sure to follow copyright laws. Whenever they play your CD, your guests will think of you.

Flowers and Plants. If you’re having a spring or summer wedding, consider giving out packets of seeds as a wedding favor. These will be a long-lasting fragrant reminder of your nuptials. Alternatively, you can give out tiny potted plants for a spring garden. These are very inexpensive, and if you buy in bulk, you may be able to get further discounts.

Scented soaps. These are another item you might want to consider giving out as a favor. They have an attractive scent, and often come in pretty shapes and wrappings. They are another practical gift that is pretty to look at as well.

There are many options for buying great wedding favors on a budget. When you use your creativity for buying thoughtful gifts for your guests, they will be appreciated all the more.

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Frugal Tips to Shrink Your Grocery Bill (Plus Recipes)

Frugal Tips to Shrink Your Grocery Bill (Plus Recipes!) offers helpful money saving tips that will cut your grocery bill. Who doesn’t want to and need to save money in these hard financial times? Find out how to save money on groceries with this frugal tips ebook. Also included are some delicious frugal recipes.

 

Frugal Tips to Shrink Your Grocery Bill

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Save Money With Coupons and Free Samples

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Get $500 in Grocery Coupons

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