Hiatus!

My 30 day money saving challenge is still on but due to a sickly 3 1/2 month old Finding Pennies is on hiatus. When he starts sleeping again and I regain sanity we'll pick back up.

Day 11-12: A Family Affair

I have one of those families. You know the ones I'm talking about; the loud, in your life, tons of cousins, always together type of families. When my husband first started coming to family events when we still dating he described my family as the "Big Fat Greek Wedding" type of family. Ironically his was very much like the Millers and he is, in fact, a Miller.

This fact can sometimes be an overwhelming thing but having family around can help save money. Many coupons only give you the discount if you buy so many of a given item. My husband and I will probably not use three packages of toothpaste anytime soon, but we can go in on the deal with family and make it cheaper for everyone.

Eating together is another way to save. Making one dish and bringing it over to your parent's/aunt's/cousin's house is a lot easier than making the whole meal. There are certain dishes that I love to make that don't freeze well and feed way more than just the two of us. I get to make my dish and enjoy the company of others.

Even if you don't live near family you can still pitch in with friends on cheap and easy meals. You get to socialize without breaking the bank.

-Mommy Cori

Day 9-10: Splurge Only Dining/Items

Again, sorry for the lapse. I'm still getting over the flu. I did tell everyone it has been a rough week, right?

We've decided to designate some restaurants and even some favorite items at the grocery store as "Splurge Only". These are places we will go or things we will buy only on a very rare occasion or when we have a coupon to make it worth buying.

I found a coupon for Quizno's- buy one sub and get the second free. I love Quizno's but we usually only get it about once a month when such a coupon comes out. My friend Sarah does the same thing with Texas de Brazil. Her and her fiance go about 1-2 times a year when they get a birthday coupon for buy one get one free. You can be a good saver and still splurge on occasion. The trick is to make your splurges a little less guilty.

The same thing goes at the supermarket. Buy generic brand unless you have a coupon for the name brand that you may like a little better. You still may spend a tad more than you would have on the generic brand but you'll feel a lot less guilty about it!

-Mommy Cori

Day 8: Summing Up Week One Of The Challenge

I'm not going to lie to you and say that this has been the best week ever. I've actually had a really horrible week. We've had a lot of personal things happen that we didn't think would be in the cards when we started our challenge. I've had a death in the family, worked way too many hours while sick, and got diagnosed with H1N1 Flu. Not great. It has been hard...

But, surprisingly, this challenge was not the toughest part of this week. It was actually kind of fun. It has been almost like a game between my husband and I to see who could figure out ways to save money. My friends have gotten involved too. I've been getting pearls of wisdom from other ladies and moms who are also on a budget.

Better yet we are eating healthier and my poor neglected kitchen is getting the use it deserves. I have renewed my passion for cooking, baking, and inventing new recipes. Hopefully Konner will learn that mommies and daddies make food; that it doesn't magically appear out of a paper sack with a pig tailed girl, golden arches, or a big derby hat on the front.

I do imagine that it will get a little tougher in the weeks to come, but I hope that we are rewiring ourselves to be a frugal family. If the article I posted or my and my husband's personal challenge have inspired you to take a financial fast, please please please write me a comment, e-mail, or facebook message letting me know how it has been for you. I'd love to hear about it!

Pennies found this week: Coupon shopping, making my own all purpose cleaner, freezing bread, cooking at home, preparing and portioning myself, and avoiding eating out.

Thanks for all the encouragement and tips over the course of this week!

-Mommy Cori

Day 6-7: Make It Yourself

Sorry for the lapse yesterday. We had a death in the family and I was attending a funeral.

Something I've discovered this week is that making/preparing/portioning yourself is almost always cheaper. If you like pudding or Jell-o, buy the box mix and then portion it out yourself. The same goes for applesauce. I always keep applesauce in the house. Instead of buying the small self servings I am now keeping a large jar of the generic in my fridge.

Cheese is cheaper by the block than pre-shredded. One 2lb block of cheese can last my family a couple weeks. I just grate or cut what I need.

Snack cakes for kids' lunches can also be expensive. I've found a recipe for a really good homemade snack cake/cookie!

Ingredients:

1 package favorite cake mix (look for the ones on sale!)
1 container frosting that goes with desired cake mix (coupons?)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 375. Mix cake mix, eggs, and applesauce until well blended. Use a small cookie scoop to place 1inch balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Coat the bottom of a glass in flour or powdered sugar and use to press each ball down into a cookie shape. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Cookies will be a cake-like consistency and not doughy on the top when done. Frost with desired frosting for a Cake Cookie or frost the bottom of one cookie and place another on top of it for a homemade snack cake.

These cookies/snack cakes are awesome! I've made them with the white cake/frosting and with red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.

Another tip: Keep yourself well! I got the flu and had to buy TamaFlu for my family. Getting sick definitely does not save pennies.

-Mommy Cori

Day 5: Taking Advantage of Free Stuff

You don't always have to work to find ways to save pennies; sometimes you just stumble upon them!

Take advantage of free opportunities. My work is switching from making our own waffles to using frozen waffles. I think it stinks for the customers but it is good for me! I got two free bags of waffle/pancake mix. I am going to make a bunch of waffles on my day off and freeze them for future mornings. (Thanks for the idea Melissa!)

Not everyone will stumble on a waffle/pancake prize but there are hidden opportunities to snag free stuff sometimes.

Day 4: A Wise Investment

Today we continued with our good cooking habits; using things we already had in the pantry and fridge. I've noticed that I am a lot better about keeping a clean kitchen now that I'm using it more often! I also saw an article today about how Target will accept one manufacturer's coupon and one Target coupon on the same item.

I let go of a few pennies today but I think it was a wise investment. We tithed at church. I know it may sound simple but I really do believe that trusting God with your finances is one of the best investments you can make. Hopefully He will see that we are using what we have to serve him and bless that investment.

I also spent a little money on my birth control prescription today. (Sorry guys that read this!) But hey, $30 a month is A LOT cheaper than another baby. I love my little Konner but I don't want to add the clan just yet. I guess that counts as a wise investment too.

-Mommy Cori