My Mothers of Multiples Club Presentation

Tonight I am holding a couponing/budgeting class for a Mothers of Multiples Club meeting.  I have been busy prepping and planning on teaching all the ins and out of couponing.

When suddenly  it hit me.

I am speaking to Moms of Multiples.  Will they really be eager to hear how to become an extreme couponer, spending hours a week hunting deals, clipping coupons, and shopping with children in tow?

So I said to myself, “Kaley, what would I want to learn if I were a Mom of Multiples?”  And suddenly a light went off.

I would want to know how to save TIME while saving money!  (Duh!)

So I completely changed my focus.  I decided that I need to share every time-saving money tip that I know to help lighten the load for these fabulous women.  (Now if someone else could help them figure out how to score FREE babysitting while they shop, they’d be all set!)

So I thought I’d share the main points of my talk here on Cha-Ching on a Shoestring.  Maybe you aren’t a Mom of Multiples, but who doesn’t like to save time and money?

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Let’s face it.  If you are going to take part in the game of saving money, it does take time.  Clipping coupons, planning your shopping trips in advance, watching for sales can all add up when it comes to your time.

So, I thought I’d share some of my most favorite time-saving strategies in the money-saving department.  If you feel overwhelmed with balancing the time you spend on saving money, possibly some of these tips will help lighten the load:

How can I save time on:

1) Meal planning?

Sign up for e-Mealz.

One of my best tips for saving money on groceries is to plan your meals around the sales.

However, I have a confession to make.  I am not a fan of meal planning.  It’s not that I haven’t tried to enjoy meal planning.  I have a folder full of cute little meal planning calendars, creative ideas from magazines, and a whole lot of other fun stuff intended to motivate me to become a meal planning guru.

So I was delighted when my Mom introduced me to e-Mealz.  Imagine having a maid who plans your meals around weekly deals, creates your grocery list, and only charges you $5 a month…and you are imagining e-Mealz.  You can also choose from low-fat, low-carb and even points system menus.

Go here to learn more and find out how you can score a discount through Jan. 31, 2011!

2) Grocery Shopping?

Shop at ALDI.

The fascinating thing about ALDI is that they do not accept coupons and simply sell their own very inexpensive brands. There is no need to check prices or search through your coupon organizer.  When I shop there, it typically takes me about 30 minutes to finish my grocery shopping even with two very squirmy little boys in tow.  Of course, there are times when it is less expensive to buy certain groceries elsewhere with coupons.  But much of the time, ALDI has other stores beat by a mile.

3) Diapers?

Sign up for Amazon Mom.  Use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program.

I remember being shocked at the prices of diapers when my first son was born.  So I can only imagine how Mothers of Multiples must feel about them.

Coupons help you get rock bottom prices on diapers.  But sometimes it’s tricky finding the best deals based on the quantity of diapers you are buying.

I have been very impressed with Amazon’s deals when it comes to diapers.  They have a program called Amazon Mom. As an Amazon Mom, you receive an additional 15% discount on top of the standard 15% discount when you sign up for Subscribe & Save delivery plus FREE 2 day shipping.  If you decide you don’t want to continue with their Subscribe & Save program, you can cancel any time after your order ships.

4) Clipping Coupons?

Use the No-Clip Coupon method. I know some of you already have a system that works great for you.  But if you don’t, I recommend this system that simply involves filing coupon inserts each week and only clipping coupons when necessary.  I’ve shared it in detail here. (complete with pictures!)  Then be sure to check out my Coupon Database which is sure to become your new best friend!

5) Finding deals?

Let others do the work. The fact that you are reading this blog probably means that you already believe in learning from others.  The day I discovered money saving blogs was life changing for me. (Thanks, Beckie!)  I had no idea that other people were willing to do the work of finding deals and matching coupons to sales and alerting me to coupons.  Hey–if they want to do the work for you, let them!

Most importantly, don’t feel like you have to do it all! I used to feel like I needed to hit every deal, but then I realized that this simply isn’t feasible.  The world will not fall off its axis if you miss a free after ECB deal at CVS this week.  There will be plenty more to come.  I promise.

So, there you have it.  My secret’s out.  I am a bonafide money saving short cutter.

**And if you find you have a little extra time and want to learn the ins and outs of the Drugstore Game, you can check out my Drugstore 101 series here.