Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

Living Large on a Limited Budget

Flashback Fun

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I have a super busy day ahead of me.  We are heading out of town tomorrow for my brother-in-law’s graduation and leaving the kids with family (thank you, family!).  So I am currently working on a long list of things to do before then.  In the meantime, I thought I’d share one of my favorite posts from my other blog.  It’s a glimpse into life in my house (and my brain).  Maybe you relate?

(Oh–and the secret I keep referring to is that we were about to start a new money-saving blog called Cha-Ching on a Shoestring!)

True Confessions of a Tired Busy Happy Mom

Lincoln just turned 6 months old. I’m running a 10-mile race in May with my cousin. Griffin asked if hot dogs were a vegetable the other day. I gave up Oprah for Lent. I am so looking forward to the end of Daylight Savings Time. I think the way they are doing American Idol this year is cheesy. At first, I was just going to give up ice cream. And why birds don’t wear underwear. But then, I just made a chocolate cake instead. How do my children sense when I am up early? Lincoln used to sleep in the bathroom. Do they smell me? I just ate some chocolate cake for breakfast. Now he sleeps in Griffin’s room. I’m doing just fine without her, thank you. I am in love with the children’s play area at Wegman’s. I’m not even Catholic. Is it ok to bribe my son with a fruit roll up to stay in bed? Wes and I have a secret. No, not Lincoln. I’m not pregnant. And why girls don’t have beards. We’ll tell you soon. So far, I have only run 3 miles. Griffin used to sleep in until 8:30 or 9. I’m pretty proud that I just taught myself how to cross off words. Arby’s roastburgers are yummy. I am so looking forward to the end of Daylight Savings Time. Oops. I already said that. Griffin sings “Shot to the Heart” every day. All day long. I read a story about a mom with sextuplets last night. Is that wrong? I just noticed that Lincoln is working hard to push himself forward on the floor. I just got a whole bunch of free stuff from walgreens. When they were four months old, she and her husband turned off the baby monitor so they would learn to sleep through the night. I love to kiss my son’s cheeks. They did. Let’s see what Lincoln thinks about Baby Einstein. I guess I’m not as tired or busy as I thought I was. Actually, I’ve run more than 3 miles–just not all at once. He likes it. I cannot wait until I can sit out on my porch in the morning. Why didn’t I think of making videos of pretty pictures and classical music? I promise I’m not pregnant.



The Gymboree Game

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Ever since I read this post about dressing your children for free, I’ve been interested in learning more about Gymboree.  Currently, Gymboree is holding an ‘earnings‘ event in which you will earn $25 Gymbucks for every $50 spent in store or on-line.  (Go here for more information about Gymbucks.)

Not only that, but if you shop between May 14 and May 17, 2009, you can use this 30% off coupon to get even more bang for your buck.  You will need to spend $50 after the coupon in order to receive your $25 in gymbucks,  but you’ll still get more for your money!

I’d love to hear how your shopping ‘trip’ goes.  Anyone out there have experience with the Gymboree game?  Feel free to share any tips!

Potty Training? Here’s help.

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Potty training.  What comes to mind when you hear those two words?  Does fear strike deep in your heart?

I know I felt a bit terrified when starting this process with our firstborn.  I briefly considered waiting until he was in jr. high…but quickly changed my mind when I thought about paying for all those diapers.

Thankfully, we are in that brief hiatus before potty training our second son.  But, I’m feeling a lot more confident this time around.  I thought I’d share some of the (free!) tools that helped make our first go-around a lot smoother than I expected.

  • Sticker charts were a life saver for us.  PottyTrainingConcepts.com offers free printable potty training charts in themes such as Cars, Disney Princess, Thomas & Friends, and Winnie the Pooh.  We used the Chuck E. Cheese printable rewards calendar for Griffin.  (We used our own rewards system, but kids can receive 10 free tokens for taking a completed chart into Chuck E. Cheese.)

  • We also signed up to receive this free potty training DVD from Pull-Ups.  Griffin loved it–he still occasionally asks to watch it!  As I recall, there were also some great Huggies coupons included as well.

  • Huggies also offers a free Pull-Ups sample here, along with a few other tips and tools.

  • Are you a little further along in the process, but still working on night-time?  Wal-mart also has a free sample of Huggies Good-Nites here.

How about you?  I’d love to hear about your tips and tools as well!

Price Chopper Baby Club: Free birthday cake and more

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A friend just introduced me to Price Chopper’s Baby Club and I just had to share.  If you have a Price Chopper in your area and children under the age of 4, go here to sign up.  Simply for signing up, you will receive:

  • Free Baby Club magazine.
  • Free money saving coupons.

You will need an AdvantEdge card in order to sign up.

Upromise.com

While you have your AdvantEdge card out, why not head on over to Upromise and sign up if you haven’t yet?  Add your CVS card and a variety of grocery cards as well in order to turn your everyday spending into college savings.

Cha-Ching Challenge Highlight

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Cha-Ching challenge

Welcome to the weekly Cha-Ching Challenge Highlight!

I am so pleased to announce our
Cha-Ching Challenge Highlight Winner!

This week’s highlight is Deal Squealer.

Check out her post highlighting her savings for the week–
a total of $151.53.

Way to go, Deal Squealer!

While you are there, I suggest checking out her
Mailbox Monday post.  What a great idea!

Would you like to join us in next week’s Cha-Ching Challenge?

Simply come back on Friday and join the Cha-Ching Challenge by adding a link to your post sharing your savings for the week!


Coupon Database

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Just a heads-up that I have updated my coupon database.  You can view it by clicking here.

These coupons are from my Sunday papers, beginning March 1.  Yours may vary depending on where you live.  Feel free to check it out to see if it can be a help to you!

Unfortunately, this database is missing last week’s coupons (5/3/09) since I was out of town and did not get my local coupons.  I will let you know if I find a way to add them!

To find out how I use this database and organize my coupons, go here.

Satisfying those Cravings

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Let’s be real honest now, shall we?

We all have cravings, and they may or may not be pregnancy-related.  I am going to be completely transparent and share mine.

I crave coffee.  Quality coffee. There.  I said it.

I’m talking lattes, cappucinos, and my all-time favorite: Starbucks Caramel Macchiatos.

Oh…what the hey…while I’m at it, I might as well share my other cravings:

massages
pedicures
going to the movies
chocolate
a good book
going out to eat
and the list goes on…

The problem is that it is very easy to feel guilty about indulging in any of these things when money is tight.  And the reality is that money spent on wants is less money set aside for needs.

I’d like to share a few tips on how to make room for some of the more frivolous things in life.

  • Use birthdays to ask for items or experiences that you might feel guilty using your own money to buy.  I currently have a gift certificate for a massage waiting patiently for me to use it.  It was a gift on my last birthday.  I also received an assortment of gift cards for my favorite coffee spots for Christmas.  It’s OK to get pampered by others every now and then!
  • Sign up for Swagbucks or Mypoints. By doing so, you can earn gift cards for all your craving needs.  Why not?
  • Consider giving yourself an allowance. My husband and I each receive a monthly ‘allowance’.  (I know…and you thought that was only for your teenager.)  It’s a small amount, but it’s ours to use on whatever we see fit.  And considering the fact that each of us likes to spend money in different ways, (I like to splurge on the little things; he likes to save for the big things) this has not only been a financial help, but our marriage has benefited as well.

How do you make room to enjoy your cravings every now and then?