Finances & Budgeting

It wasn't until I became a mom that I realized how outrageously expensive disposable diaper really are!  I now realize that when you receive diapers as a baby gift, you are really getting the BEST GIFT EVER!  Like putting gas in your car, diapers become a necessary item that can quickly put a big dent in your families budget. When my oldest child was in diapers I thought I had a pretty good idea of where to purchase the cheapest diapers.  Turns out...I was wrong! So I set out on a mission to help find the best deals in (disposable) diapering.  Hopefully, this thorough comparison, will help to cut down on some of the foot work and research (that most...

This post is a follow up to my couponing series which you can read here, here, and here.  I received requests for more specifics about saving at Target.  Your wish is my command! Target: Great taker of my money. And my second home. Yes, it’s true. I spend more time (and money) than I would like to admit at the big red box store. When we run out of something, even my 2 year old tells me we need to go to Target. But as a bargain shopper, I’ve learned to stretch my Target dollars. Here are my tips to help you truly expect more and pay less on your next Target trip. RedCard: If you do nothing else, get...

When I moved to Baton Rouge and became a stay at home mom, I knew I needed to find some creative ways to save money for my family.  I had seen shows about couponing, but it always seemed like way too much work. But, I decided that I needed a way to keep my mind sharp between temper tantrums and playground trips.  Couponing = math = keeping mommy brain at bay (sort of). It definitely took a lot of time and learning on the front end, but soon it was second nature. Here are a few steps to help you get on a money saving roll! Step 1: Find Coupons - The traditional way to accumulate coupons is from newspaper...

So you think you want to buy a house? Congrats! Don’t start packing the china just yet.  There are lots of things to consider before you take the plunge into homeownership.  I bought my first home just weeks before my husband and I met (oops), and we are now in the process of buying our first home together.  This series documents my experiences and tips for making this major purchase go as smoothly as possible. The very first thing to do is to determine what you can afford.  I have found that the best way to really know is to do a thorough household budget (you should be doing this monthly anyway.)  There are many online calculators to choose from,...

If you’ve spent much time in thrift stores (or sorting through donations for nonprofits or following a disaster), you know that our society is absolutely overrun with clothes. It’s a burden. It’s kind of jarring when you think about it that clothes are mass-produced, worn for a short time, then sent to languish on thrift store racks while they are still in good condition. It’s the definition of excess. Thanks to Macklemore, thrifting is becoming more popular but it’s still kind of stigmatized and there are still more clothes than we could ever need getting donated to thrift stores every day. At my favorite thrift store I regularly walk out with Banana Republic, J. Crew, Calvin Klein, and the...