Weekly Spending Report: 12/07-13/2014

This was a great week of stocking up, especially for baking items and things we needed for the baby, like diapers and 'chewing' foods.  I was also able to pick up some needed items for Christmas baking and dinner.  Here's how the week went down...

• Monday's Giant Trip: $39.65 oop

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $29.06 oop

• Monday's CVS Trip: $26.04, Earned $14 ECB's

• Thursday's Walgreen's Trip: $1.93 oop
• Earned 2 - $5 Amazon Gift Cards from Swagbucks

Total oop: $96.68
Total Earned: $24
Total Remaining for December: $202.07

Weekly Spending Report: 11/30-12/06/2014

A nice easy start to December.  I didn't really need anything at the store this week, so I just stopped in and rolled some ECB's.  Here's what I was able to pick up...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $1.25 oop, Earned $3 ECB's

Total OOP: $1.25
Total Earned: $3
Total Remaining for December: $298.75

November Budget Update

November was an AMAZING month -- not only did I get some AMAZING deals, but I was able to stay under budget.  Here's how the month went down...

• Week #1: $67.63 oop, Earned $10 CVS Gift Card @ CVS, $10 CVS Gift Card from Swag Bucks, $8.99 MIR, and $4.79 Staples Easy Rebate
• Week #2: $67.16 oop, Earned $10 CVS Gift Card, $2 ECB's. and $2.80 Staples Easy Rebate
• Week #3: $122.11 oop, Earned $10 CVS Gift Card, $1.50 ECB's, and $2.80 Staples Easy Rebate
• Week #4: $31.10 oop, Earned $63.54 ECB's, and $8.50 RR's

Total OOP: $288
Total Earned: $134.92
Total Remaining: $12
 

Weekly Spending Report: 11/23-29/2014

I look forward to Thanksgiving week every year, not only because of the time together with family, and the delicious food, but for the AWESOME deals there are to be had while shopping!!!  Here are the amazing deals I scored...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $15.14 oop, Earned $45.57 ECB's

• Thursday's Walgreen's Trip: $5.95 oop, Earned $8.50 RR's

• Thursday's CVS Trip: $7.89 oop, Earned $17.97 ECB's

•  Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip (2 newspapers): $2.12 oop
  

Total OOP: $31.10
Total Earned: $72.04
Total Remaining for November: $12.00

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 11/16-22/2014

This was another AWESOME week of deals!  I have a feeling that I'm going to go over budget this month -- I kinda forgot about the Black Friday deals at the drug stores next week, so we'll see...  Here's what we picked up this week, which included my Thanksgiving meals items...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $32.07 oop, Earned $1.50 ECB's, and $10 CVS Gift Card

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $27.16 oop

• Monday's Staples Trip (1 ream Paper): $2.98 oop, Earned $2.80 Easy Rebate
• Monday's Giant Trip (not pictured 2 frozen pizzas): $40.00 oop

• Monday's Baugher's Trip (2-1/2 lb bushels #2 grade apples): $19.90 oop

Total OOP: $122.11
Total Earned: $14.30
Total Remaining for November: $43.10

Linked to Couponaholic!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 28 - Use your Cell as a Portable White Noise Machine

Instead of spending your money on a portable white noise machine, just use your cell phone.  My husband downloaded music we have saved on our computer (mostly classic country) onto the card in his phone, for FREE, and Howard LOVES it!  Howard hated the lullaby music that came with his swing, so one night when he was fussy and wouldn't sleep Joe played him the Statler Brothers on his phone, instant quiet, and moments later he was sound asleep!  This has also worked when we are in the car, or out running errands.  He gets fussy, Joe pulls out his phone, picks one of Howard's 'playlists,' lowers the volume, and tucks it in beside him in his carseat -- and it works everytime!  You could easily get a lullaby CD to put on your computer and then onto your phone if your little one prefers it, there is probably even a cheap app for that!  So save some cash, and use the music on your cell to quiet your little one, plus it's one less thing to carry around!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 27 Use Doggie Bags for Diapers

Our portable diaper changing pad, has a little pouch for dirty diaper bags.  These are totally AWESOME, as you can forget about a really nasty diaper that you have tied up and tossed into your trunk for at least 3 weeks, and it won't smell!  Don't ask me how I know that ;-)  Anyway, those little bags are expensive to replace, even if you buy them at Wal-mart.  So, one week while strolling the aisles of our Dollar Tree, I noticed these doggie bags -- same size, different color, and just as durable, and smell-containing!  These do come with carriers, which you could hook onto your diaper bag if you don't have a changing pad that has a built-in pouch.  But three rolls for a $1 is a third of the price that Wal-mart wanted for the name brand ones -- definitely money saved!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 26 - Make your Own

Pictured above is a sling-type carrier I bought (using a promo code of course), it is also one that had I looked online I could have found a tutorial and made for even less!  The internet is a magical place filled to the brim with all sorts of diy's projects, including carriers, clothing, quilts, blankets, sheets, curtains, mobiles, diaper bags, and changing pad covers.  If you are 'crafty,' even just a little bit, you should be able to make some of these items CUSTOM to you and your little one for CHEAP!  Even if you only make one thing, you've saved money!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 25 - Wait to go Shopping until AFTER your showers

After you've built that killer registry, and had an awesome shower(s), then it's time to use those gift cards and cash you received as shower gifts to make the purchases that you still need, but that no one got you.  I held onto those things in an envelope in my purse, and waited until I was 36 weeks pregnant to go shopping.  Some might say that is crazy, but I recommend it for 2 reasons, 1 - you make sure all your showers are over, so you won't end up with duplicates of things you don't need 2 of, and 2 - you have something to do while those last 4 weeks (or more) creep by.  I don't know about everyone else, but by that point I was just ready to be done with pregnancy and hold my new little one in my arms instead of my stomach.  Making returns, shopping for needed items, and finding surprising cute items on sale gave me something to look forward to, and kept my mind off the wait-game.  You save money by not receiving something you've prematurely bought, and you stay sane while you wait for your bundle of joy to (finally) make his/her appearance!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 24 - Don't Register for Things you might get a million of

I had been warned by the older mothers that I know not to register for clothes or blankets.  We are friends with a LOT of older and middle-aged woman, many of whom know how to knit, or crochet.  Needless to say, we received a huge amount of blankets, like about a dozen heavy weight, and probably 2 dozen light weight!  Needless to say, I'm glad I didn't register for more.  I also didn't register for clothes, because I was told that if people see something cute, they're going to buy it whether you registered for it or not.  I was also blessed to receive 5 large trash bags of used clothes to go through from two different families.  This has made up most of Howard's wardrobe.  We received a few outfits as shower gifts, some the Christmas before he was born, and some more in the hospital after he arrived.  Howard has had plenty of clothes since the day he was born, and I didn't even register for any!  So, when you make your registry, don't register for things you will probably get a LOT of (blankets), or things you can get for free or very cheap at the thrift stores (clothes), register for all those other needs!