Shopping Savings Tips

Well, I guess I have neglected my Smart Mom Savings blog lately,(sorry!) I've been kind of busy with my other blog In All Your Ways I am really enjoying it, if you'd like, take a few minutes to check it out. Of course I've been busy in many other ways too, however.... here I am and I wanted to share some tips today to help you out with your wardrobe.

Perhaps you are like me and you don't have an abundance of money to spend on new clothing, so in that situation, we have to stretch our dollars and still try to find ways to feel good about our clothing. I don't go shopping very often, however yesterday I was in the mall with my kiddos because they need some new boots for winter. It has been raining so much these last few weeks that I'm sure the snow is just around the corner so we went on a hunt for winter boots. I have to confess that I tend to get sticker shock in the department stores, the discount stores are more often in my budget. Anyway that got me thinking about how to get nice clothing items at a good price.

• Never pay full price! If it's not on sale, it probably will be soon. Retail is very competitive business and most of the stores are offering sales on a regular basis. Check the sales fliers in the newspapers or online before you head out the door, you could save a lot just by waiting a day or two.
• Look for discount coupons in your mailbox, that junk mail could save you money if you take a few minutes to sort through it before you toss it.
• Keep it simple. Ladies, if you are buying for yourself and can't afford a lot of variety, choose classic style pants and skirts in black then liven them up with different color tops. You will then be able to wear black shoes, boots, purse etc. to easily match any outfit, therefore saving you money on accessories.
• Resist the urge to spend a lot on the latest style. What looks really hip and trendy today will be outdated next year, and you probably won't want to wear it.
• Check out the thrift stores and consignment shops if you have any good ones nearby. You may have to sift through to find something just right for you, but the savings could make it worth your time.
• Don't pay for designer labels! Need I say more?
• Check clothing labels for cleaning instructions, if it's dry clean only, consider whether you will want to pay for that service. I bought a comforter set on sale a couple of years ago without realizing it needed to be dry cleaned. At around $40 per cleaning, it was not a good investment, I won't make that mistake again!

Do you have any more tips to share? Leave a comment please, I'd love to hear them.

Have a wonderful day.
Smart Mom

Please remember to shop at Smart Mom's Store I appreciate your support!

Energy-Saving Tips

The change in season with it's cool air makes being indoors so warm and inviting. My family enjoys being together in our family room with hot drinks - the kids are loving hot apple cider and freshly baked pumpkin bread! Mmmm... we are already looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the fun activities, gift-giving and baking.
However, the fall and winter months bring something I'm not so fond of - higher gas & electric bills, so of course I'm always looking for ways to lower our expenses. Here's a few tips:

1. Check out The Home Energy Saver website to find out how much the average home energy bill is in your area, then find ways to make your home more energy efficient.
2. Use a programmable thermostat to manage your climate control; program your heating to meet your family's schedule and needs and avoid heating your home unnecessarily.
3. Train your family to close doors and windows, turn off lights in rooms that aren't being used and to use less hot water. (I know... good luck with that!)
4. If it's time to replace any of your household appliances, be sure to compare the energy efficiency labels before you buy. Also, check with your local utility company for any rebate programs being offered.
5. Heating water can account for up to 20% of your energy bill, so do pay attention to how long you let the water run while you are doing dishes or showering etc.
6. Set your outdoor lights on a time or dusk to dawn sensor so that you don't accidentally leave them on all day.

Keep looking for ways to save, those small changes can make a difference!

Smart Mom

Auto-matic Savings Tips

Take care of your car and you will also be taking care of your wallet! Here's a few tips to help you get the most of your money while you drive. Buying a car which gets good mileage is obvious if you're in the market to replace a vehicle, if not we can all do these:

• Keep your car engine tuned and your tires inflated to their proper pressure. This investment can save you approx. $100 per year on gas!


• Get regular oil changes.


• Shop around for gas. Prices can vary a lot.


• Use the lowest octane gas recommended by your car manufacturer.


• Avoid fast starts and stops while driving, you will have long term savings of fuel and maintenance costs.


• Don't sit in your car for prolonged periods of time with the engine idling. (If you're waiting for someone who went in the store, turn of the engine)


• Don't speed..... the cost of the ticket is not worth it!

Be sure to buckle up and drive safely!

The Coupon Quandry

To clip or not to clip? That is the question. Will the savings really be worth the sacrifice of time and effort? Can you really save, or is it all a conspiracy to get you in the store and squeeze the money out of your wallet by tempting you with elegant displays of merchandise??

Ah... there is hope... once again, you must formulate a plan and discipline yourself to stick to it. Here's a few tips to get you saving with coupons.

1. Get organized: Get a coupon organizer and actually use it!


2. Look for some good coupon websites, there are many to choose from.


3. Make sure you are receiving coupon fliers, e-mails etc. from the stores you frequent.


4. Only clip coupons for products you know you use. Don't be tempted with the new items if it's not in your meal plan.


5. Take the coupons to the store! (I know this sounds pretty basic, but honestly, have you ever left them at home? Don't do much good there, do they?)


6. Watch for items already discounted in the store, you can increase your savings.


7. Add to your stash of coupons each week and purge expired coupons from your organizer.


8. Share with others. If you have friends/family who like to use coupons, create a coupon exchange group, pool extra unused coupons and each person can choose ones they want.


9. Be generous. Look for opportunities to give to others!

I have used a few coupon websites with mixed opinions, you will have to decide which ones are for you. I like www.coupons.com I have visited www.coolsavings.com in the past and still get e-mails from them regularly. I tried www.grocerygame.com and it's quite an impressive site but it requires a subscription and I didn't find very many products I use so it wasn't worth it to me.

To be honest I do almost all of my grocery shopping between Safeway and Costco. I use their coupons and savings card and try to shop wisely. I love to save money and really don't like to pay full price for anything. However, I also try not to stress too much about missing out on a great deal.

So, if you love to clip... keep it up...

Need a break?

Can't believe it's been a week since my last post, you might think I've been slacking off, it's just that there's been so much else going on. Less than two weeks now until I start my kids back to school (homeschool). We have everything we need, I think, I'm just starting to get myself prepared now. I am anticipating a wonderful year...... summer has been a nice break and I wasn't really looking forward to getting back into school, but now that we're getting things organized we are all more excited about it.

I hope you got some great back to school deals, I can't believe I missed the 1 cent filler paper at Staples, I knew about it and planned to go in.... the week went faster than I did unfortunately. Oh well, good thing I still have 4 packs left from last year!

Anyway, if you are still on the lookout for savings ideas consider this... you like to go out with your hubby for a date but the cost of babysitters sometimes makes it hard to afford. Find a friend who also has kids and make a deal with her. You can alternate weeks where you watch her kids one evening for her and then the next week she takes care of your kids so that you can have an evening out. You'll save money and be a blessing to each other, the kids will probably love having a special evening once a week with friends too.

If you don't have a friend with kids of a similar age to yours, look for opportunities to get to know other moms, maybe at school, church or sports activities. Spend some time building relationships first so that you can be sure you can trust each other with your kids.

Well.... gotta go and get busy, have a wonderful day.

Smart Mom

Save On Your Services

The temperatures are in the 90's here right now and I wish I could think of some Smart Mom tips to cut back on the misery of being too hot without air conditioning. I'm trying to keep my home cool with all the usual methods, but I'm failing.... it was still in the 80's after 10 pm last night, so cooling off overnight is a myth at the moment... oh well, may as well try to find other areas to save....

After taking a look at your major accounts, you might want to evaluate some of your everyday expenses to see if you can reduce your budget without compromising too much on the things you want. Some areas to look at could include:

• Cable TV/Satellite TV: try cutting back to a more limited service, I reduced my bill by about $40 a month and we still get enough channels (so few are worth watching anyway!)


• Phone/ Long distance calling: don't pay for more than you will use each month, the phone companies always try to up sell you to a better package - and they should, that's their business- just be aware of what you are paying for, you might be able to eliminate some features you never use. Take a look at Skype for free calling and video calling http://www.skype.com/ I haven't used this service but I have friends who have and they gave it a thumbs-up.


• Cellular phone service: if you don't use it much, look into a prepaid or pay as you go plan; if you use your cell phone a lot be sure to get unlimited minutes in your plan. Shop around


• Internet service providers: you can find many services online for free, but typically you will have to pay someone to provide you with access to the internet. Compare services from your phone company, cable/satellite company, cellular company. Be sure to find the service that meets your needs, really, who wants dial-up anymore

Check out the discounts you would receive if you bundle your services with one provider, and watch your mailbox for special offers. Of course, if you find you don't need any of the services I mentioned, cool.. you can eliminate them altogether. (Did I say cool? I must be dreaming of lower temperatures.)

Well, gotta go now, see you tomorrow.

Smart Mom

Chistmas in July?

While driving home yesterday my kids were making suggestions for watching a movie when we got home, my son wanted us to watch "Charlie Brown's Christmas" which he had checked out from our local library. (Yes the library offers great ways to save..... I'll talk about that another day!) Anyway, knowing I like Charlie Brown, he was hoping I would encourage him, however I commented that I didn't really want Christmas in July. Well, that got me thinking about ways to save..... for Christmas......in July....

1. Make a list of all the people you plan to buy gifts for, there are approximately 23 weeks until Christmas, so divide those weeks between your number of people. For example if you will buy gifts for 10 people you could easily plan to buy one gift every 2 weeks and be done in plenty of time for Christmas.


2. Start watching for sales. If you see a great sale going on, take advantage and look for something that suits someone on your gift list. (By the way, if I see a great sale I will alert you too!) Back to school sales will be promoted very soon, you might get some great deals.


3. Do you send Christmas cards? Make your card list and if you have some cards on hand you could even write one or two each week.


4. Think about online shopping, you can research some of the items you might want and subscribe at various webstores for e-mail alerts so that you know when items go on sale. Also, lots of stores offer special offers to those on their mailing list.Being in the know can save you lots of money.

Well, these are just a few ways to save for Christmas in July, you might enjoy your results:

• Reduce the stress associated with Christmas time by being ahead of your game!


• Invest a little energy each day or week to be able to enjoy more family time during the Christmas season.


• Save money by shopping when you see an item on sale!

Be sure to let me know if you have great results or any ideas to share!

Welcome to Smart Mom Savings!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I am excited to share lots of Smart Mom Savings with you!

In today's economy we all need to find ways to be smart and save in every area, look for ideas each day to help you save time, money, energy, resources of all kinds. Some may be new and some may be familiar but worth a reminder of.

I will also include links to websites which offer savings, but only if I have previewed them and think they are worthy of your consideration.

Subscribe by e-mail and don't miss any posts, also I would love to hear suggestions and comments, if you have a smart saving idea, please share. Even if you are not a mom, I'm sure you would like to save too!