With the current state of the economy, it is up to the mom's to pull out our bag of tricks to find great bargains for our family. I thought it would be great to list resources that I have found work and that other moms trust. Feel free to add you helpful hints to the list in the comment section........that's what it is all about, moms helping moms.
1. Clip, Clip, Clip....coupons are really worth the time and effort it takes to collect papers and cut them out. I recently read an article in Essence where a woman said she could buy $200 worth of groceries and pay $10 for them after with coupons. This got me motivated to begin to cut away. I recently saved $80 on one grocery bill by combining store sales with coupons.....I am not a true believer. It is well worth the effort to buy several Sunday papers to save. Here are some coupon websites where you can print your own coupons at home: shopathome.com and freegrocerycoupon.com
2. Shop to you drop.....now you have to be careful not to sign up for any company that requires you to pay a fee...those are scams. But with a little research and time you can find companies that will pay you to shop for clothes, restaurants and even groceries. The best part is you get reimbursed for your purchases and you get to keep them.
3. Work at home jobs..... two sites that I can recommend are http://workathomemomrevolution.blogspot.com and girgetpaid.com
These sites are updated frequently with list of work at home positions that are available in various areas. Another site is Tory Johnson's womenforhire.com. This site is packed with everything you need to know about companies that are hiring to starting your own business.
4. Consignment stores/Secondhand stores....these stores are great places to buy and sale clothes for your children as they grow. They have everything from uniforms to babies stroller and you can even find things with tags still on them. A few of my favorite are Once upon a Child and Kid to Kid. They have complete store locations on their websites and even franchise information.
5. Turn your hobby into money....I read a money article that talked about turning hobbies like sewing and cooking into side jobs that can add money to your pocket. If you are an excellent cook you can commit to a few hours a week as a private chef or teach others to cook. Whatever you love to do and are good at there is a market out there for that.......like parties why not plan parties for others...you be surprised how something that comes so easy to you is just the thing someone is looking for.
6. Let the writing bug bite you.... There is money to be made in blogging and freelance writing. Sites like blogspot.com, can help you get started setting up your own blog. There is even a site called Guru.com that connects you with 1,000s of freelance positions at various commissions.
7. Buy a water purifier. Really how much do we spend in bottle water when we could easily buy water purifiers at Target or Walmart. Brita has a great brand and this will add up in dollars in a short time.....I totally understand not wanting to drink tap water. This small change will help your pocket and the environment.
8. Start saving.....we all know that it is harder now than ever to save but just putting $100 a month a way can make a huge difference. This applies to retirement, kids college fund and even vacations. Safety nets are always a good idea.
9. Bring your own lunch...This maybe a simple one for most moms. We pack our kids lunches all the time, but if you add up all the trips to McDonalds you could buy a small car. It is just easier to pack your own lunch (yours, significant others, children, etc). By eating out less you put money back in your pocket and can control healthier eating habits too.
10. This is the most important: Don't forget to treat yourself. I don't care if it is a manicure, a trip to the book store or a trip to Marshalls. A small treat is good. Now I am not saying buy those $300 boots for winter but a splurge within reason is good. Maybe you are movie buff and subscribing to Netflix might be the entertainment you need to take your mind off of money worries from time to time.
Hopefully this top ten is helpful....I would love to hear what you and your family are doing during these economic times.
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