Here’s to a great 2010!   I hope you and your family enjoy this New Year!

-Margarette

photo credit: Patrick Hoesly

• Free Junie B Jones Scrapbook Download
• 4 Ways to Save $600+ on Heating Costs

• Freebie Friday – 27 Secret Restaurant Copycat Recipes eCookbook:

• Free Money-Saving Garden Tips

• And of course, the contests

Thank you for being a Coupons And Kids reader.  I hope you and your family have a Happy New Year!

photo credit: markhillary

Malls and shopping centers are alluring this time of year because they boast three things:  bright lights, beautiful merchandise, and bargains!  But the best sale in the world won’t do you any good if you blow your budget.  Impulse spending is something all of us are probably guilty of, but everyone can take steps to stop it.  Here are my top five tips for curbing the temptation:

1. Shop Online — The benefit of shopping from you computer is that you’re able to buy from your own pre-written (and pre-budgeted) shopping list, with little interference from others.  It’s also easier to comparison shop when you’re on the Internet.  Places like Amazon and EBay let you read reviews and see prices from competing stores with just a few mouse clicks.

2. Talk Yourself Out of It — Personal finance guru Mary Hunt believes in the power of self-talk to control spending.  On her web site, Hunt writes that when she’s tempted to buy something she didn’t plan for, she’ll ask herself questions, such as “If this weren’t on sale, would I still buy it?”  She’d also remind herself that she doesn’t have to make any purchases to prove anything to anyone, or try to impress them.  The same advice holds true for you and me.  Chances are, no one else will care whether you buy that impulsive item or not.
3. Remember Your Savings – Not in a bad way, but in a satisfied way.  If you deposit money into a savings account on a regular basis, think about how much you’ve been able to save.  Whether the amount is exactly where you want it, or it’s making its way there, you’ve done something worthwhile.  The  impulse purchase you’re holding in your hands might take your savings into another direction, so it may be better to say “not now” for that item.  Sometimes a quick review of your savings goal is all the motivation you need to put a product back on the shelf.

4. Use Cash – This is an old method, but it works.  In his book Personal Finance for Dummies, author Eric Tyson suggests shopping with limited cash and no credit cards, especially if you’ll be with someone who brings out the “big spender” in you.  There’s something about those dollar bills that make you want to hold onto them a bit longer.  Using cash can be the perfect antidote to impulsive shopping.

5. Keep Your Tags and Receipts – If you do buy something, keep the tags and receipts, and try not to use the product for at least a day, if possible.  That way, if you do get buyer’s remorse, you may be able to return the product and get your money back.  It’s certainly much harder to make a second trip back to the store, but it is an option.

Other Posts You Might Like:

7 Easy Tips to Save Money on Groceries

4 Ways to Find Green Bargains

photo credit: reitveld

I searched the web for tips on how to stay in your budget this season, and  found some really good articles.  Here’s my Best-of-the-Web list of top 5 ways to save money during this holiday says.

1.  Leave products in the cart–when you’re shopping online.  After you picked out what you want from an online retail store, leave items in the shopping cart overnight.  The retailer may send you a coupon to help close the deal.  This handy advice came from an online news segment.

2. Redeem credit card rewards. Have you noticed that your credit card company is trying to get you to redeem rewards to help out with Christmas shopping?  This Bankrate article tells you just how to do that, and save.

3. Ask for a refund if prices fall after you’ve made a purchase. Many stores will provide one if the cost of an item you bought there drops within a specific time period.  This tips comes from Good Housekeeping.

4. Get social. As in social media.  This online news segment advises consumers to sign up for a store’s email coupons, and follow them on facebook or twitter. That way, you can be alerted to their exclusive sales and discounts.

5. Don’t throw away expired coupons. This CNN article explains that retailers offer coupons to get customers in the stores before the end of the year.  But if your coupon has expired, ask the retailer if they’ll honor it anyway.  They just might do it.

Other posts you might like:

4 Ways to Find Green Bargains

4 Cheap Ways to Save Up to $600 or More on Heating Costs

photo credit: roolrool

Suppose you made a good dinner for your family last night but still have more left for tonight.   Unfortunately, if your kids are like mine, they won’t touch their plates if they think it’s full of the dreaded “L”, leftovers. Faced with picky eaters, it may be tempting to toss everything out and start again.  But wasting food wastes money, and it sends the wrong message.

One way to keep kids eating  is to come up with new ways to serve the basic foods they enjoy.  I listed our family’s most popular “eat again” (not leftover)  meals below.  I have to add few new side ingredients, but it doesn’t require a completely new recipe.

1. Turn them into tacos. Place leftover meat on a flour tortilla.   Add salsa, cheese and sour cream.

2. Make it into a casserole. Add cream-of-whatever or broth to the meat (if it doesn’t have it already).  Then add cooked veggies. Top with cheese and/or bread crumbles.

3. Serve fried rice. Add leftover meat to leftover rice, vegetables, and a scrambled egg.  Serve with soy sauce.

4. Make sandwiches. This simple idea is one of the most popular with my kids.  Take leftover meat and slap two slices of bread or a bun on it.

5. Make minestrone soup. Got leftover corn and vegetables?  Add some broth, and you’re done.

For more ideas, read the book Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, by Stephanie O’Dea.  It has several recipes to stretch your meals using a CrockPot.

In the past, I’ve announced contests that were available to all of our web site’s subscribers.  We have a number of people who subscribe via email, but readers also have the option of subscribing via RSS.  In case you are wondering what RSS is, here’s a description.

What is RSS?
RSS stands for “really simple syndication”, and it is a technology that is used by web surfers who want to know when their favorite web sites are updated.  In the case of Coupons and Kids, RSS technology allows you to know every time a post is updated.

People who use RSS get these updates delivered to them via News Feeds.  It’s a lot like the feeds we send out on Facebook and Twitter, but from the reader’s point of view, you don’t subscribe to your friends or fan pages, you subscribe to web sites.

How to Read RSS Feeds
In order to read the news feeds of your favorite web sites, you have to select an RSS Feed Reader.  This is a program that is generally free and available on the web.  They are similar to free online email programs.  In fact, many email programs offer RSS readers as part of their service.  I use Google’s Reader, but there are several out there.

Once you’ve selected your reader, my best advice is to simply select some feeds to subscribe to and try it out.  You can subscribe to the Coupons and Kids feed here, then select the RSS reader you plan to use.

Another way to subscribe is to look for an orange icon on the web site, similar to the one at the top of this post.  That’s an RSS icon, and by clicking on it, you may be able to subscribe to that site’s feed.  (In Safari web browsers, there may be a different icon altogether, one that’s blue).

Once you subscribe, the feeds work a lot like email.  You receive new updates as web sites publish them, and anything you haven’t read yet is usually bold-faced.
Good luck!

photo credit: Stephen Cummings

If you’re clipping coupons, you want a good deal.  But a good deal is of little use if you can’t keep track of your money.  In the popular finance book Your Money or Your Life, the authors repeatedly highlight the importance of knowing where you spend your cash in order to be financially free.

If tracking your money is important for personal finance, it’s definitely important for the regular trip to the supermarket.  But keeping up with those dollars and cents isn’t always easy. Here are three tips that work for me, and I think they can help even the most time-starved parent.

1.    “Phone” it In
Use the calculator on your cell-phone to add up what your total will be, before you get to the checkout line.  Standard calculators are important for adding up your grocery bill, but does anyone remember to bring one to the store?  I don’t.  But I’ve learned that in situations where I really need to add up the total, I can just whip out my cell-phone/calculator and find out exactly what I need to know.

This gadget also lets you keep up with your plan.  You can add up  purchases as you place them in your cart to make sure you’re not going over the budget for your weekly menu.  (You are writing out your weekly menu, right?  If you need ideas for meals and recipes, Smart Cents Mom has some good ones).

You can also use the the alarm feature on your phone to let you know when you should leave.  The less time you’re in the store, the less money you can spend!

2.    Let your bank do the work for you
If you use a debit or credit card to make your purchases, your bank or credit union may be able to provide you with statements that have detailed information about where your money went last month.  (Unlike your check register, they’ll even add on the things you probably want to forget about, such as finance charges).

Some banks will even categorize your purchases.  The benefit is that if you’re looking for an area to ease back on spending, you can look at the categories that are taking the biggest bite of your income and make adjustments.  You can even download the information to a personal finance computer program, which takes me to the next step…

3.    “Computerize” it
Personal finance software programs such as Quicken or Microsoft Money (or even web-based programs and sites) are powerful at helping  track dollars.  The key for success is getting into a routine so that you’re regularly recording your purchases on your computer.  This may mean having a set time each week to write your receipts into the program, or to download the data from your financial institution.

Once the software has your information, you can run reports, charts and graphs that show where your money is going.  The benefit is that you can spot trends you weren’t even aware of—such as how much you spent on junk food over the last six months.

photo credit: mightyohm

This is the time of year when winterizing articles appear, and if you’re like me, it’s hard to get motivated to use the suggestions that are given. Unlike other savings tips, you don’t see cold hard cash in your hands when you’re lowering your heating bill.

But there are real dollars that can be saved. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, and nearly half of that amount goes to heating and cooling.

I researched the Department of Energy’s Energy Star web site and summarized a checklist of four items you can buy (well, one of them is free) that might save you hundreds of dollars in heating expenses this winter. Read below to find out how to save:

1. Phone Call to Your Natural Gas Utility Company (to Negotiate a Lower Rate): Average Cost $FREE, Potential Savings $84/year

According to the Energy Information Administration, the average cost of space-heating fuels this winter is expected to decrease by about $84. If you’re on a fixed rate heating plan—where unit rates won’t decrease at all–call your utility company and ask if it makes sense to go to a variable (or lower fixed) rate plan.

2. Programmable Thermostat: Approx. Cost $40, Potential Savings $180/year

According to the Energy Star site, homeowners can save about $180 a year by setting programmable thermostats to the proper energy-efficient, but comfortable, settings. Click here for a chart on what those settings are (they’re dependent on the time of the day).

3. Air Filter: Average Cost $20, Potential Savings $ 200/year (the cost of excess heating bills per season from an inefficient system, according to Energy Star)

The Energy Star experts recommend that you change your air filter at least once a quarter, and preferably every month during the peak seasons of winter and summer. A clean filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system, but a dirty one will make it work hard (ie, more energy and more money out of your pocket).

4. Mastic Sealant: Approx. Cost $30 and/or Metal Tape: Approx. Cost $5 each, Potential Savings $220/year (based on 10% savings of the avg. heating bill, according to Energy Star)

The Energy Star web site recommends sealing your ducts using these products to prevent the “open window” cold air effect in the winter. Ironically, the experts suggest that homeowners not use duct tape because it’s not long-lasting. You may want to hire a contractor for this particular job, but according to Energy Star, it is a possible do-it-yourself task.

That’s the round-up. Total Approx. Costs: $115. Total Potential Savings: About $600. Now that’s something to get motivated about!

I’m sure our readers have even more tips. If you have one that works, add it to the comments below.

photo credit: jessica mullen

You can spend less by taking advantage of bulk warehouse or store buys – even if you don’t have a family of ten or twelve!  Here are some tips I’ve found (with the help of a few savvy bloggers) to save:

1. Focus on food staples. Flour, coffee, oatmeal, sugar, beans, rice and other staples can be bought in bundles for less money per serving.  I found excellent advice at the Thrify Hearts blog to help determine the amount needed.  Staples  store well if kept in sealed containers in a cool, dry place. (If you’re really concerned about spoilage, see tip #4).

2. Bundle office supplies and accessories. Paper, highlighters, pens, printer or copier toner, blank DVDs and batteries can be bought in bulk and last you all year. This has a double benefit–deductions are easier at tax time if you only need to count one annual shopping trip for these items.

3. Stock up on toiletries. Get great deals on toilet paper, trash bags, feminine products, toothpaste and even contact lens solution by buying bigger packages (check the unit weight for each package to ensure you’re getting the best deal).  Don’t think you’ll never use all your toiletries – you will. As for storing them, look for unused space in the back of your lower kitchen cabinets, a spare coat closet or even a clean shelf in the garage.  Tip:  To add to the savings, grab the facial product coupon I posted on the Coupons and Kids Facebook fan page.

4. Shop with a friend or a group. If you can’t use everything that’s available in bulk, buddy up with a partner and save with a joint shopping list.  Grab the groceries (and the discounts), then use gallon glass jars to divvy up food staples.  You can also use large freezer baggies to separate toiletries or desk supplies. And here’s a green suggestion:  carpool with your shopping buddy to save on gas.

5. Combine your coupons with sales. Even warehouse stores may accept manufacturer coupons, and many offer mail-in rebates as well.  Ask for extra receipts at the check out if you have multiple items with mail in requirements for rebate redemption.

Buying in bulk can cut down on trips to the store and ensure you never run out of basic necessities. At the end of the year, you can look back and calculate how much you saved!

What are some of your tips for saving big while buying in bulk?

Image via Flickr

We all love bargains. Saving money is always fun, but sometimes it can be frustrating to watch end of the season deals  pop up – sweaters go on sale just when spring hits, or swimming pool accessories are advertised 75% off right as the weather turns cool.

If you can set aside a small budget, you can actually make a killing on these last chance deals. Plan ahead and figure out (as closely as you can) what size clothing your children will be wearing next year, and stock up on garments that give you a little leeway – T-shirts and elastic waist shorts in the fall when they are on the clearance rack, or sweaters, hoodies and jogging pants in the early spring.

You can treat yourself to a good winter coat in April and simply store it in its heavy plastic wrapping until winter comes again. Watch for sales on gloves, mittens and hats, and stuff a bagful on the hall closet shelf for cold days to come. Buy that ‘just a little too tight’ swimsuit in September, and make it your goal to fit into it by June next year.

Don’t limit yourself to clothing. Buy pool supplies in the fall, and Christmas tree lights in January. Seek out bargains in the electronics department – many companies have new releases products in April and you can get last years model at cut rate prices. Get a new grill in the dead of winter. Sit down with the kids and decide which sports you want to play next season, and pick up deals on raquets, bats, balls, gloves and nets or goals.

Don’t just impulse buy. If you’ll never use it, it doesn’t matter how good a discount you can get. However, if you pad your budget for good buys that are thought out in advance, you can save on big ticket items as well as must haves six months in advance and smile when they hit the market with inflated prices next year!