Seriously, can someone tell me where all this stuff is coming from?  I swear little elves bring it in while we’re asleep!

We’re getting ready for a yard sale this weekend.  I considered taking a picture of the mountain, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  We have 18 containers packed with stuff! That’s not counting the bags, baskets and large items.  We moved just under a year ago and did a major purge.  It’s baffling how much more stuff we have to get rid of! 

A few ways I deal with the clutter:

1. Clear out items throughout the year.  I’m always going through the house and getting rid of stuff that we don’t use or need.  It saves me from being crazy when it’s time for the annual yard sale.  I keep containers in the eves and add to it every chance I get.

2.  If you don’t wear it, toss it.  I have a rule that if I can’t remember wearing it during the past year, it goes.  I immediately pull an item of clothing when I notice it’s getting too small for the kids or if they’re always telling me they don’t like it.  Further, when I switch clothes each season I pack up all the clothes that I know they won’t be able to wear again.  You may do this differently if you plan on having more children or have children of the same sex.

3. Does it serve a purpose or is it just collecting dust?  I’m constantly asking myself if I really need or like the stuff in my home.  If I’m not in love with it or it doesn’t serve a purpose, it goes.  I don’t want to dust a figurine for years if I don’t really care about it.  I also rotate the photos in my frames.  I don’t need every year of the kids lives displayed.  Wow, the frames would take over the house!  I just place a current picture over last years picture. I do have a few favorites and baby pictures always out, though.

4. When shopping, ask yourself why you want to purchase an item.  I try to ask myself a series of questions before placing something in my cart.  Do I have a specific place for this item?  Does it serve a purpose?  Will it add more work for me?  Do I already have something like it?  Do I have something to wear with it? Who and when would I give it to? Just because something is a great deal doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy it. 

Interestingly, I don’t shop a lot.  I think that’s why I just can’t figure out how I keep getting so much stuff.  It must really be the elves…

How do you deal with all your stuff?

This post is linked to Madame Deals, My Coupon Teacher and Life as Mom

Photo credit: Garrisonsjunk

The Back-to-School sales are upon us and it’s a sad reminder that the new school year is just around the corner.  I was asked about a price list for back-to-school supplies. Unfortunately, I don’t have a list.  However, I’ve put together a few tips on reducing your out of pocket expense.  You should also read what My Coupon Teacher wrote on the subject.

1.  Keep a supply list with you –  You never know when you might be out and see a good deal.  Do you have a camera phone?  Take a picture of the list.  If you have multiple children, I’d recommend making a master list of all needed supplies.  For instance, I need a total of 5 (24 packs) of crayons. 

2.  Store brand may be cheaper – I know we all think of Crayola as the go to product, but Rose Art markers and paints work just as well for a fraction of the cost.  That said, when Crayola crayons go on sale for a quarter, I’ll be there!

3. Don’t purchase products all at once – Start shopping now and purchasing a few items each week when they are at a rock bottom price.  This week I scored free Bic highlighters at WAGS.  They also have $0.09 rulers if you need it, and last week I picked up free scissors and pens at CVS.  Check out my weekly Back-To-School Round-Up so you know which stores have the best deals.

4. Consider year round needs – When determining the number of products you want to purchase; think about how many you will need for the year.  I like to purchase a couple extra boxes of crayons, glue sticks, pens, markers, etc to use throughout the year.  You never know when you’ll need an item for the kids craft box, your desk or when a teacher will ask for a donation.  Most of you practice the stockpiling method for food, right? 

5. Think long-term for backpacks – I know the character backpacks are cute.  We have them.  Remember LuLu’s Dora birthday cake?  She has the backpack and lunch bag too.  The kids tend to grow out of the character designs quickly, though.  When I purchase new backpacks next year; I’ll think of quality, practicality, and longevity. 

If you’re purchasing a new Character set, consider shopping at Toys R Us when they offer a free lunch bag ($9.99 value) when you buy a backpack.  Just watch the lunch bag shape.  I learned that round makes it difficult to get lunches/containers to fit inside.

6. Check your cabinets – Do an inventory of what you already have on hand before heading to the store.  I purchased extra cute pocket folders when they went on clearance at Target last year. Also, the kids need a total of 3 containers of baby wipes and 4 boxes of tissues.  I have 2 baby wipes and all 4 boxes of tissues that I picked up for free.  I just slashed my expense by not buying items I already had on hand.

Do you have any tips for back-to-school?

This post is linked to Madame Deals and My Coupon Teacher

Last week I talked about ways my family saves money other than using coupons.  Since its Earth Day, I thought I’d mention a few more things we do that not only benefits my pocketbook but the environment as well.

Reduce paper towel usage-Notice I said reduce not eliminate.  Paper towels do have a convenience factor, so we use them occasionally.  We used to go through a crazy amount of paper towels-a 12 pack from Sam’s Club in 1 month!  We now use less than 2 rolls per month.  Last month we used less than 1!!  Sorry, it’s the little things that make me happy.

Raise thermostat in summer, lower in winter-I am always cold, so lowering the temperature in the house a few degrees doesn’t make a difference to me in the winter.  In the summer we keep the temperature set a little higher and use fans.  We also close vents in unused rooms.

Wash full loads of laundry in cold water-I try to only wash full loads of laundry and most loads are washed in cold water.  The exception is towels and sheets.  I feel like those should be washed in warm water.  It’s just one of my quirks.

Reuse some baggies-I reuse some of my freezer bags such as for beans and stock.  I also reuse baggies for things like cheese blocks-the same thing will just be going right back in.  Why throw it away and get a new one tomorrow?  I also saved all the foil from the Brown Bag Burritos I made at the beginning of the month.  Open my freezer and you’ll find a pile of labeled, used baggies in the door. 

Caulk-We caulked everything when we moved into our new house.  I can’t even count the amount of tubes we went through.  Not only does it look better, it helps seal around windows and doorways reducing energy loss.

Unplug electronics-We unplug electronics that aren’t in use.  The cell phone charger, toaster oven and lamps all stay unplugged.

Use sun at windows to our advantage-I use the sunlight to my advantage to help heat the house.  I open curtains in the winter when the sun is facing towards the window and close the curtains in the summer during those times to help keep the house cool.

Reuse and Recycle-I mentioned this with the baggies, but I try to reuse whatever I can.  I use reusable shopping bags for groceries, but I also use plastic bags from stores to pack my hubby’s lunch.  Yes, I could use a cooler or other lunch bag but he loses them.  I also refill Gatorade and juice containers for him to take to work.  I purchased enough crystal light last summer for next to nothing that lasted until March! The containers that make it home eventually get nasty and are thrown in the recycle bucket.  I save glass jars (will be attempting jam) and some plastic containers.  Also, when I’m at the last 2 pieces of bread, I use the bread bag to send his sandwich in.

There are so many ways to reduce your budget while helping to save our planet; I couldn’t possible mention them all. 

What are your eco-friendly money saving tips?

You all know that I love coupons!  I use coupons daily in all aspects of my life, but saving money isn’t all about using coupons.  I’ve put together a list of other ways my family saves money.

–We use CASH!  Paying in Cash has been the most beneficial off all my money saving strategies.  Paying with cash hurts and when it’s gone, it’s GONE!

–We avoid going out to eat!  Although I love going out to eat, it’s expensive.  Don’t get me started on fast food and how crazy the price is for that for junk.  I’m not saying we don’t eat it on occasion; sometimes convenience over rules.

–I like to cook and participate in Freezer Cooking Day on a small scale.  I can’t tell you how many times grabbing something from the freezer at the last minute has saved me. Oh, last night.  I swore I’d taken out the turkey sausage.  I just grabbed a container of chicken soup from the freezer and dinner was served!

–We find free or cheap entertainment.  I’ve been working on an events/kids fun page which has been very helpful to me.  Sunday we will be taking the kids to Portsmouth City Park for the boat races.  It’s FREE, outside so the kids can run, and I’ll pack a picnic for lunch.

–We have weekly dinners with friends. We have friends with kids the same age, so we get together on Friday nights at one of our houses for dinner.  Everyone contributes to the meal and the kids get to run and play all night.  Although there is some cost, it’s minimal and a fun night out for all!

–We drink water!  We don’t buy a lot of juice and rarely buy soda.  My hubby and I can’t control ourselves if soda’s in the house, so I just don’t buy it!  We do drink a lot of milk but the beverage of choice around here is water.

–I avoid too many shopping trips.  I LOVE to shop, but I know my weaknesses.  I have to be very careful in Target.  It’s so easy to walk in an spend $100, so I limit my trips there and go with a list.  Unless it’s free or at a rock bottom price, I stay way.

I have a list of other ways we save money, but I thought a Part 2 on Earth Day would be nice.  A majority of my money saving strategies are also beneficial to our planet.

How do you save money?

This post is linked to My Coupon Teacher, Madame Deals and Melissa’s Bargain Blog