Gymnastics

Or, "nastics" as Avery likes to call it. Avery has been going every Thursday for a month now and really loves it. Today I snapped a few photos of what she's been up to. Her coordination really surprises me sometimes! She can do a summersault all by herself and a backwards roll with a little bit of help. She can walk forwards and sideways all by herself on the low beam and loves walking on the high beam and jumping into the "cheese". The classes are really helping her with listening and following directions. Each week she gets better at doing what her teacher tells her to do and waiting her turn. Her favorite reward is getting her stamps at the end of class! Here are some shots from today:

Welcome to Frugal February!

Hey everyone, I know we've been lacking in the posting lately, but things have been crazy! Luckily, it's all good craziness. I'm now nearly 27 weeks and Paul is doing great! Looks like we're all on track for a May 13th due date. Nate has been busy at work and also putting some feelers out for potential jobs after his clerkship ends in August. Avery is growing like a weed and talking up a storm. She started gymnastics a few weeks ago and really loves it.

Now, as you may have noticed by this blog's title, our family is celebrating Frugal February. After December and January we feel like we need to get our spending back in control. Over the course of the month, I'll be posting about the biggest ways our family saves money. Today we'll start with the biggest...

-Using Coupons-

I know what you're thinking, how can using a coupon for 55 cents off soup really save money. Let me tell you, if you spend an extra half hour a week, you can save a ton. For example. Today I saved $41.27 and only ended up spending a little under $22. And if you're thinking I just bought junk, think again. Here's a rundown of what I bought today:

(2) half gallons of Horizon organic milk

(5) Quaker express breakfasts

(5) Stoneyfield Farms greek yogurts

(1) Reach dental floss

(2) Dove body wash

(1) Shave Gel

(2) Jumbo packs Huggies Pull-ups

(1) large V8 Splash

Here are the things to remember to use coupons the most effective:

1. You can't be brand loyal.

2. You have to know what things typically cost so that you know when you're getting a good deal.

3. Stock up on non-perishable items when you find a sweet deal.

And the most important: only buy things you would normally buy! Don't buy something just because you have a coupon, that's defeating the purpose!

Now, if you don't get a Sunday paper with all of the ads in it, fear not. Everything is on the internet these days! Aside from checking your local grocery store's circular ad, there are a ton of online places to look. These are some of my favorite:

hip2save.com

moneysavingmom.com

bigfatpiggybank.com

Each store has their own coupon policy. For example, Target/Walgreens/CVS all allow you to use both a manufacturers coupon in conjunction with their store coupon, which allows for even bigger savings. Check out your store's policy on doubling up and accepting competitor's coupons.

This all may sound tedious at first, but I promise, once you get the hang of it, it'll seem more and more like a game. And believe me, when you're saving an average of 55% off of all your receipts, it's worth it.

Congrats if you've made it this far. I know I was a bit long-winded. I'd love to hear about the ways your family saves money! Leave a comment and share the knowledge!!