Moving

So we are in the process of moving yet again. We are hoping the place we are moving to may be our last move for the next few years, but we may have to play it by year. Anyway, moving is never cheap. No matter if you do it yourself or hire someone to do it. Over the moves we have gotten a lot better at doing it as cheaply as possible. I have to say, minus paying someone to move our piano (my husband and three friends nearly killed themselves the last time they moved it), nothing is costing us much more than $100.

There are three things we are doing this time that is both helping us out and saving us money.

~ We have made friends up here who have teenage boys. We have hired two of their three boys to help us move (one had other things to do) out of and into our places. Hiring them is one of our higher costs, but still significantly cheaper than hiring a professional. Plus we just can't do it alone anymore with two kids. We have moved by ourselves so many times, which easily takes a few days and we are so blessed to have people helping us out.

~ I called around and found out that by asking nicely, you can have them reserve boxes from overnight stocking to use for packing. I spoke with the overnight manager on two occasions and the only catch is you have to be there bright and early (ok not too early - before 8) to pick them up. It was really bothering me thinking about buying a whole bunch (last time was somewhere around 100) boxes just to use once and discard. Not only is that a waste of money IMHO, but it is such a waste of resources. I like using and reusing things that are already out there (within reason).

~ We are packing a few boxes that are the last to get sealed and the first to get opened. They have toothpaste, ibuprofen, allergy meds, all of our baby's meds, vitamins, a few towels, a few pots and pans and dishes, a few cups and some staple foods. That way we are not running out at midnight to the store to get something we likely have three or four of but just can't find because all of our stuff is in boxes.

I surely hope this is the last time until we *hopefully* move back to the Midwest some day.

Thrifty Thursday Delay

I have lots of fun things to post for Thrifty Thursday except it is nearly 11 pm and I am tired and heading to bed because otherwise there is no way I will get up at 5:45 to swim...lol. So it is coming, just likely on Friday. Stay tuned...

Thrifty Thursday: Making The Most Of Sippy Cups

So my son goes through sippy cup lids like crazy. We use several types, but the ones he seems to lose or break are the take-n-toss ones. I hated throwing out all the cups we had accumulated when the cups were in great condition and just needed new lids.

I looked everywhere and couldn't buy just the lids until I went to the company Web site. The Learning Curve sells a 6-pack of the lids for $3.99. The shipping and handling is about $5, so we teamed up with a friend and bought several packs of lids at once. It was great though because we could still use our cups, not waste them, and spend the money on what we really needed, which was just the lids.

It was not the best deal in the world, but I feel so much better about not wastign perfectly good cups. Plus the cups are BPA-free, so I'm not worried about my kids using them.

Thrifty Thursdays: Free Slurpees!

And now for a lighter post:).

I happen to LOVE slurpees, so it is with a smile on my face as I post this next one. Tomorrow (7/11) is free slurpee day at 7-Eleven. You get a free small slurpee at all participating stores. How could you have a bad Friday with that kind of deal?!?!? If anyone can tell me where to find the root beer slurpees that supposedly exist, but we can never find, drop me a line.

Thrifty Thursday: Free Jewelry

So I know it's not Thursday, but whatever. I do what I can when I get the chance. My mom is such a rockstar. She found an article in Woman's Day magazine for things you can get for free.

Here is my favorite: free jewelry. Yes free. It's silver jewelry and all you pay for is shipping and handling. Go to the Silverjewelryclub.com. You can see what's coming up here.Some of it I like - some I don't - but it's a pretty cool concept. Apparently they do it to generate interest in their business and other products they sell. I'm sure I will get to explore some more of these, but ordered one just to see if I like it or not. I got a blue topaz pendent. You pay $6.99 for shipping and handling no matter what you get from there. I'll keep you posted on what it's like when I get it.

Thrifty Thursday: Magazines

I just got a renewal notice for my Good Housekeeping in the mail .... yes I read it and have since I was nine. Anyway, if you haven't notice magazines and newspapers are losing subscribers more than gaining them and they will often offer you promo rates to make sure you stay with them.

The renewal notice was $24.99 for a year. I was not going to pay that much and decided to call to see if they offered any specials. Last year I paid $15 and was ok with that.

I like the magazine, but if I needed to, I can do without it.

After talking with the customer service representative, I was offered a two-year subscription for $20 -- yes $5 off the one-year price and only $10 a year. Worked for me so I signed up.

Never hurts to ask.

Thrifty Thursday Bonus: Stamps

So for everyone who hasn't heard or who has forgotten, the United States Post Office is implementing another rate hike beginning May 12. Not really news of notice imho. What is though, is that they are offering stamps called the "forever" stamps. It came out in April 2007.

You can buy the stamps at today's prices and use them as long as you have them. Now that may not make a difference today or a year from now, but since they are steadily raising rates and likely will continue, they can be stored and used at any time. It saves the hassle of trying to get new stamps and a few bucks depending how much you use them.

Who knows? With the increasing costs of fuel, they may be worth double in a few years... I really hope not because that means we will be paying a lot for them, but who knows?

The USPS says they will continue to sell the forever stamps after the hike, but the price to buy them will increase with each additional rate hikes.

Thrifty Thursday - Easy Gifts

So we know as the year progresses we will need many gifts - a baby is born, birthdays, Mother's Days, Father's Days and of course, Christmas.

Our solution to the ever-growing list of gifts it seemed we needed every year is to keep a gift box in our house.

Any time I see a good deal on something I honestly like and would like to receive as a gift or I think someone on my list would like, AND we have the extra money to spare, I buy it and save it until we need it. I find this easiest for when there are babies born or weddings coming up. It takes the stress of not always having the money to spend on it and makes it so we can celebrate with little gifts when appropraite.

Thrifty Thursday: Grocery Store Deals

The grocery stores around here have "bonus" cards where you get special deals if you use your card. That in and of itself doesn't really save you money because the "deals" are often what the regular retail stores charge and you can use an in house bonus card if you forget yours.

However, a few times a year they run a special where if you earn a certain number of points in a 6-week period, often the equivalent to spending $250, you can get a free ham, turkey or whatever depending on the upcoming holiday. Around Thanksgiving we got a 13-pound turkey and we just got a 9.5 pound ham this week for Easter. The regular retail price is $15.

Lots of stores run specials like this, but you can't get in on them unless you pay attention. The ham will be more than we need for multiple meals, but it will easily serve as lunch meat and for other recipes until it is gone. I plan on just freezing what we don't eat in portions to use later.

Thrifty Thursday: Almost New Baby/Toddler Items

Since I have two little ones, I like to get them toys sometimes. When my oldest was about 4 months, I bought a used exersaucer in great shape for less than $20. It was missing one toy, which I found and bought online on Evenflo's web site for less than $10. This Exersaucer normally retailed for nearly $100. After a good wash down and washing the seat in the washing machine, we put it to good use.

With the Internet everywhere now, it just takes a few clicks to get replacement parts for items that oftentimes people throw out or think they need to buy a whole one instead of just a part. It usually only takes a quick Google search.

Our stroller was looking a bit beat up, but I found out the part that was torn could be replaced for less than $10 on Graco's web site as well.

I just can't see paying for certain toys and items for baby brand new when I can get good ones with little wear for usually 30% of the regular price, especially when they outgrow them so quickly.

Just a thought when you are looking for that next item for your baby.

PS: The one thing I won't buy used is car seats because of the safety factor - you don't know if they've ever been in a accident and had structural damage that you don't see by just looking at it. Also if you want to know if an item has been recalled, look at the CPSC's Web site. I get emails from them when they recall children's items, but you can sign up for any ones you want on their site and it helps me keep up with any potential problems in my kids' toys or furniture.

Thrifty Thursday: Employer Discounts, Watching Receipts

For those of you who work with big companies, it is worth a bit of time to look into what type of discounts they have with other companies. Oftentimes, you don't get a packet saying "take advantage of these discounts," but they do exist.

My husband and I looked into this with his company this week and realized our wireless carrier offers a 19% discount each month on voice plans. For us, that comes to another $20 a month. All we have to do is set up the information with them.

I know his company and health care also offer discounts everywhere from the gym to travel and car rental discounts.

Also, I was reminded of a good lesson this week: ALWAYS CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS. I got home from Wal-Mart and realized the skillet I had bought for nearly $30 had been charged twice on our bill. It was the first thing the cashier rang up and I was still unloading items from my cart. That mistake had increased my bill by 25% so I brought the receipt back and spoke with customer service and was refunded the extra money.

I didn't actually check my receipt for many days though and almost missed out on the opportunity to get it corrected. It was a good reminder for me.

Have a great day!

Thrifty Thursdays: Returns On Printer Cartridges

I don't know about you, but we go through a ridiculous number of printer cartridges. A great way to not only recycle them, but get instant savings is to save them and bring them into an office supply store the next time you need to buy some.

Most stores like Office Depot and Office Max can refill them or give you a store credit toward additional ones. I have five on my desk.

At OfficeMax you can get $3 off your purchase for each one you bring in (up to five per day). At Office Depot, you receive a $3 coupon for a future purchase.

For me, that is a free cartridge usually every few months. That means I can use the $15 for something fun, like going out to lunch, or something we need, like paying more toward our debt.

The little things add up. Take a look at this story my dad sent me this week. This guy bought a truck in cash with money he had saved up since he last bought a car 13 years ago... how awesome is that!

Thrifty Thursday: The Public Library

It's so easy to forget that for our taxes, we actually should expect some things in return. Ones of these amenities is the public library. For years I stopped going to the public libraries until I graduated college. I thought they were boring, I was cooler than that, yada, yada.... However, after we moved to the Chicagoland area as a newly married couple making very little money we rediscovered how many resources were available at the libraries.

Not only are there books, but now many libraries carry many movies (on VHS and DVD), offer training for computer programs, have free Internet access, a ton of magazines and often host many community programs and events. When we move now, one of the first things I do is get a library card. When I have extra time, I go and check out DVDs, books and magazines that I am interested in. I especially like the magazines because I thoroughly enjoy reading magazines, but can't justify the cost to subscribe to most of them.

Most libraries also have online reservation systems, so it is very easy to look online to see if they carry a book you're looking for and then put a hold on it. Our library is connected with 20 or so other area libraries and if any of them carry the book, you can get it sent to your library and pick it up when it arrives.

So even though they fall into the "old-fashioned" amenities, they are a great way to save money. I know many books I would like to read are not necessarily ones I have the money to buy. The library gives me access to so many more items than I would have without it.

Oh yeah, and as a mom they often offer events like weekly story times that cost *gasp* NO MONEY. Imagine that, something your kids can participate in and really enjoy that is free. Hard to find, especially on the East coast.

So that's my plug for the local libraries - hooray for reading!

Thrifty Thursdays: What Do The Ads Really Mean?

So after working in the wonderful world of retail during some of my high school and college days I learned two things.

1. I wanted to continue school if nothing else, so that I didn't have to be a cashier forever. It's a perfectly respectable job, but I could only take so much of it.

2. I figured out what all those headlines on the ads like "lowest price of the season" really meant.

It's not rocket science, but I guess I never really sat and thought about it much. There are some clues as to when you are getting a good deal and when you really aren't.

"Lowest price of the season" - pretty much never a spectacular deal. More likely a deal they run monthly. There are so many "seasons" in retail it's hard to keep track.

"Lowest price of the year" - a great deal if it's the end of the year, but you tend to see a lot of these at the beginning of the year. So technically it may be the best price of the year, but the year may only be a few weeks old.

"Lowest price ever" - this one you rarely see, but if you do, you're likely getting a good deal.

"Our best holiday prices' - pretty useless, likely equal to lowest price of the season.

Also, stores use promotions like rebates to lure customers in, knowing full well that nearly half of those customers who buy a rpoduct based on the rebate price will, in fact, never take the time to send the rebate in and therefore pay a lot more than what it is worth.

For example, I bought an SD card and a jump drive during black Friday on Circuit City's web site. Both items had mail-in rebates and the rebates totaled $25. When I received the package, I did not receive the mail-in rebates. After a bit of looking on their site, I found a section listing all their rebates from the last year and printed them off. It is the difference between me paying $40 for the two items and $15.

I have to make it a priority to send inr ebates however, or I fall into the group that never gets aroudn to it. I usually fill them out as soon as I buy the product so I don't forget.

Enough fun for today:). Happy shopping.