Patience Pays

    Our lives are ridiculously fast-paced in the time of wi-fi internet,smartphones, online banking; it seems many things that require patience are antiquated or nearly obsolete.  A younger neighbor of mine actually laughed that I still had (and used) paper checks. And my lack of commitment to my extremely inexpensive pre-paid cell phone is practically unheard of, prompting many strange looks.  Sometimes it feels like I am living in the wrong time period.
    But patience is a virtue and it can truly pay off!  My son's 3rd birthday is nearly here.  I have known for some time the gift of choice would be the LeapPad2, after suffering through many arguments between my two youngest children over the Explorer my daughter currently has.  For weeks, I have been browsing the web, just waiting for the time to strike.  Yesterday, it finally happened.
     Toys R Us had a fabulous coupon for $25/$100, so I thought $75 for the $100 toy = PERFECTION.  However, when I began the checkout process, I realized the price wasn't budging.  Reading the tiny, little print; I learned the reason why "excluding learning system".  Grrr.  So I pressed on through the website and quickly after found this:  http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13343517
    The LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer Crayola Creativity Bundle for $130.  For about $30 more than the price of the toy I knew he wanted, I was able to add on the green gel protection skin ($10 value), Crayola Art Adventure game ($25 value), Crayola removable sticker skins you color your own (small value), set of Crayola Pipsqueak markers ($4 value) as wells as 5 free apps (which normally come with Leap Pad, but this promotion includes one of his choice--so I am not sure is this really increases the value of the package or not).  The box "claims" it's a $190 value...That seems a bit steep.  But for us, this seemed like a great opportunity to get his birthday gift with a few free perks included.
    However, as much as I love the toy, of course, I will keep the receipt JUST IN CASE a better deal comes around before birthday time!!!
 
  The next time you have a purchase that can wait, try to have a bit more patience. Make yourself look at a few websites or stores before you pull the trigger.  You may be very happy that you did and your bank account may be a little less little, too.

Staying Green and Saving Green

Countless times I have heard that many money saving tricks are also great for the environment, and I have actually posted a few before, but tonight I took the plunge into another way to the help the planet...and I am hoping it saves me some of that green paper, too.

When I was a kid, I had a few battery-operated toys: a Speak and Spell, a microscope (I wanted to be a vet) , the Operation Game....probably a few more, but most of our toys were of the non-electric variety.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED!!!  It is a bit ridiculous to me, but I have to admit, but now MOST children's toys now use batteries!  Honestly, the ones my kids love the most...use the most batteries.  For example, right now my kids are really into the LeapFrog Tag pens.  My five-year-old uses the pen, and my two-year-old received the Tag Jr. for Christmas.  They love them, and they truly are cool toys, BUT AA batteries need to be changed.

Tonight, I invested about $29 on the Energizer Battery Charger with 4AA and 4AAA batteries included sold at Sam's Club. I am charging up the first batch and plan to have them ready to use tomorrow for a science experiment on how long they actually last.  If they perform well, this could be a potential money saver...and a planet helper.  ( I had previously shopped for these at Target, and found that  4AA and 4AAA packs were $11.39 each and the universal charger was $31.  However the universal is for all battery types and nicer than my Sam's charger that is used only for AAA and AA--our toys/remotes/ect. are mostly of that A variety.

I am so hoping for rechargeable battery success from my $29 investment!!!

If any of you have tips or experience with this, please post away.

Not Mac N Cheese!!!!

Little Time +Little Money + Little Kids = LOTS of mac N cheese, among other easy foods, but READ THIS!


ttp://www.honeycolony.com/article/13-banned-foods-still-allowed-in-the-u-s/

If you are short on time to read, the basic premise of it is that US is behind many other developed countries standards when it comes to food additive safety, putting profits above health.
But, of course, health trumps time and money when it comes to little kids!!!
Parents concerned about the health of their children may want to read this article.  It wouldn't hurt to verify accuracy, but many of these additives are repeats I have heard before, and would be best to avoid them.  I am planning on making a list of these 15 and going through the cupboards to note which items have them that I usually buy and looking for substitutes.  The worst offender for our family? MAC N CHEESE! It is one of our "go-to" foods.  I am going to attempt to develop a homemade recipe I can put together for my little kids.  Hopefully I can make it taste close to the real deal!

A bit off the topic, but to avoid a rant about the health of Mac N Cheese, please read on. Mac N Cheese alone is NOT a meal for my children.  Just to clarify, I will have used Mac as a staple but add to the  plates fresh veggies and fruit, basically balancing out processed foods with additions of fresh food.  I have never considered the processed foods as unsafe, though (although I knew it was not healthy) and really need to start studying food labels more closely when considering they may be unsafe.

Just what parents need, more to worry about!  (insert sarcasm here)

Please add in our comments healthy food substitutes that can help us all avoid these additives but consider the "little money" aspect, too!  I will add ideas I have as I try to rid our house of this list.

Kohl's Gear Up 4 Safety Program

Sometimes thinking about child safety can be so scary.  However, ultimately it should be our number one priority as guardians of little ones.  Please follow this link to a program a coworker/friend alerted me to and she highly recommends:

http://www.wolfsonchildrens.org/programs-services/programs/safe-kids/Pages/gearup4safety.aspx  

This link is for our local hospital, although other hospitals in other areas team up with Kohl's as well.  This is a free service and you can call for an appointment.  It sounds like it is time well spent!  It looks like they offer carseat checks, water safety tips, bike rider programs and more.  Oftentimes we think as busy parents we know it all, but I would consider this friend well-informed, so if she learned from it, it must be new info.  Let us know if any of you have been or know any more.  Safety with little ones is so very important!

Money in the Mail

Skipping back from the mailbox today!!!  Thank you Kohl's for a $10 gift certificate for my birthday, CVS for my email coupon for a free beverage or candy up to $2 value, Teen Vogue actually sent my teen the purse they had promised when I subscribed for my daughter, and Tire Kingdom for my oil change and tire rotation for $21!  So much better than getting BILLS (like normal).  What are the odds I would get so many fun coupons on the same day?  What great coupons have you received lately??

Goodwill Destiny

Goodwill destiny happened today...I was desperate to find one of my favorite children's books, "No, David!" by David Shannon for a writing lesson I wanted to teach at school.  This book has been a fav of each of my children through the years and our well worn copy had probably bit the dust, as I couldn't find it anywhere. As I arrived at work, I bee-lined for a Kindergarten classroom, just knowing they would have to have it!  Luckily, she did, and the lesson was a total hit!  However, I was plotting to go re-buy the book so I could always have it at my beck and call, and my five-year-old was already begging to keep the borrowed copy.  After picking up my kids from school and daycare, we decided to hit Goodwill on the way home for a little treasure hunting. Yes, I do that often (had even done it quickly yesterday!).  Yesterday, was a bit of a dud, but today (different store...by work rather than home) was kismet! A hard-bound copy of No, David! sat on the shelf...$1 !  I also found 3 more hard cover kids books by great authors in new condition ($3), a Children's Place T for my daughter (barely worn), Jones New York shirt, with tags, for $4, nice brain teaser book for me ($1), Ballerina girl doll ($1) and an electronic train ($1...huge surprise when we came home, with 2 D batteries, that thing FLEW around our house, and had a light!) and one more item, a Sterlight ornament holder that fits under our bed, new for $3) Grand Total - $17! If you don't Goodwill, you are so missing out!

The Dishwasher Debacle (AKA Dishwasher Envy)

About a month ago, our dishwasher mysteriously lost power one day, and ceased to work.  I had my extremely handy hubby (great for saving $$$ Single ladies, find a handy hubby if you can!) check it out, but he was stumped. Then I talked to my daughter's friend's dad who is an appliance repair man, but nope, nothing worked. Dishes for this family of five, who like to eat and bake and cook, is no joke.  My sister and her crew of five even came from out of state for a long weekend and we HAND WASHED for all 10 of us ( AND ate all our meals at home, or on a picnic we had packed at home...frugalistas we are!) spending HOURS of the vacay at the sink. Uggg. Soon after she departed, hubby says enough is enough and heads to Lowe's where he found a BEAUTIFUL dishwasher marked down from $450 to $314.  He was tempted to bite at that, but my money saver spouse kept going, claiming he wouldn't use the free delivery and asking for another $75 off instead.  Sweet, sweet deal for about $250. That would have been the happy end to this post with a picture to boot, but then....as he is uninstalling our "broken" dishwasher, he realizes it is not so broken anymore and is simply a loose wire!!! At first, I am pretty happy with that, $250 saved. And then, I made the "mistake". Out of curiosity I opened the bargain dishwasher.  Envy set it. It was so nice, silvery on the inside, deeper baskets, and silverware in the door.  Energy efficient, and more features.What to do? Should it stay or should it go now???  If it stays there would be trouble ($250 from our already skimpy budget) if it goes there may be double ( I will miss that thing, BAD! Plus, couldn't I recoup some of the $$ selling our "fixed" dishwasher and on all the electric/water bill savings?)  In the end, boooo, I had to return it. Yes, it was hard, I wanted to be vain and selfish and keep that awesome thing.  But reason won out, and someday I will have a broken dishwasher with an actual reason to be replaced.  When that happens, beautiful dishwasher deals better watch out!

Babies Can't Clean, But 2-Year-Olds CAN

Having a baby is the house is a marathon...caretaking, cleaning, laundry, nursing, feeding, laundry, diapers, baths, whew!  New parents have to rapidly juggle all the responsibilities life piles on us.  But as our children grow, it is supposed to get EASIER, right??  In a few days, I will have a 1-year-old house guest (and of course, his family as well).  How quickly we forget what a difference a year makes.  My 2-year-old knows what to and what not to put in his mouth.  He has also learned a bit how to help me clean!  I wonder if this is the point people forget all the work babies are and decide to do it again?  I think this crawling through my house to make sure it is safe may be the ultimate reminder of how far we have come with these little kids and probably a lot more work than I remember to go back and do it again.  Moms with babies out there...God bless you!  I am exhausted, and he is not even here to visit me yet!

Too Little Time

The cries of TGIF are all around us, and relaxation with my little kids should be a priority.  Yet, when you work full-time and mother little ones, even the weekend is a time of stress and busyness.  We have our must-dos, want-to-dos, and some honey-dos.   This weekend, the must-do list is HUGE, limiting my time for want-to-dos.  Holding it all together at times like this is crucial so although I WANT to post on my blog, instead I will be:

Cleaning out our van (and my husband's car)
Shopping for our family of five PLUS my sister and her five for our long weekend together (Sam's Club is my friend)
Babyproofing my house for on the five visitors who just turned one and believes if it fits in his mouth, it is food (My sister is most concerned about my cat's litter box)
Cleaning the floors, which somehow collected sand from both little kids shoes this week, ewwww
Sneaking back to work to clean off my VERY messy desk I left in disarray today because my son's daycare was close to closing
Plus, all the normal life weekend stuff, like laundry and cleaning, errands, dishes, cooking

So if you are having a less hectic weekend than me, and know how to post on my blog, go ahead and give us your best time saving tips for cleaning in a hurry! I need it!! Happy Weekend!

Enlighten Us

Earlier, I mentioned I wanted this blog to be collaborative and to encourage others to post their ideas, views, strategies.  However, some have expressed to me they are clueless on HOW to make a comment (technologically challenged by Blogger). If you know how to do this, could you inform the rest of us? Thanks!

Use Your 2013 Calendar to the MAX!

Moms are busy; calendars are essential! But I make my calendar work oh so hard for the money.  Not only do I write down appointments, meetings and parties.  I also include menus (planning out two weeks of meals after each payday to ensure we make it to the next paycheck with full bellies) to avoid the "What's for dinner?" debacle that can often wind up causing overspending at a restaurant or takeout.  Usually I only list the entree to save calendar space and just choose the sides at the time of cooking, making sure I keep lots of healthy side items in my freezer/pantry/cupboards. Finally, another great calendar addition is coupon expiration dates.  How many times have you saved a coupon to only let it pass expiration date unused?  Most likely, this is followed by an immediate need for the item to be bought at full price right after!  Noting a few of the best coupons you have is a great reminder to use them before you lose them.  Tonight, I get my haircut. Why? Because, yes, I do need it, but also because I have a 1/2 off at HairCuttery that expires TODAY.  If I hadn't have noted the date on my calendar, I may have missed the deadline only to pay full price tomorrow or the next day. Try adding this to your calendar and let us know if it helps save you some dollars.

Coupons Galore!!!

Today would be a great day to buy a Sunday paper. Or two or three.  There are five packets of coupons in my local paper AND because everyone is on their New Year's Resolution kicks, they are not the typical processed food/junk food variety.  Many of the coupons are for healthy meal and snack choices! There are many approaches to couponing that say clip or save ALL the coupons and organize them by date so you can match up with upcoming store sales.  If you do that, great for you, but that is NOT my strategy.  I simply cut the coupons for things I regularly buy, may buy if the price is right, or new product I might want to try.  I try to keep a limited number of coupons so my time does not get sucked by this could-be addiction.  Remember the clutter-free post from earlier---no need to buy or clip coupons for things you don't use/need!  Free is fun, but free is not worth the clutter if they are not needed.  Keeping a smaller number of coupons will help you find and use them quickly so you can get back home to your family and those important things that are not things.  This couponing strategy typically saves me $10-$20 on a purchase around $100, for those who are interested in how much this helps our budget, and I spend about half an hour weekly clipping, organizing, and preparing a grocery store list with my coupons.

What to Expect When Your Expecting to Read My Blog

If you're like me (and I am thinking you are since you read my blog) you belong to a lot of Facebook groups, email subscriptions, ect. that clue you in to deals on items for purchase, or free samples, specific ways to save a few dollars.  I belong to a plethora of them as well; they are great and have their place in my lifestyle.  That is, however, not the intent of this blog.  This blog is not a link to specific deals, but more specifically, this blog is a "big idea" blog.  I want to share more of the lifestyle choices we use to maintain balance between little kids, little money, and little time and hope to see our readers ideas, too.

Too often, those deal bloggers, websites, ect. that I am addicted to (right now, it is Groupon) do have great deals. BUT their goal is to encourage us to spend money. Yes, they have so many great deals, BUT it is still money out of our budgets.  For some budgets any great deal is no deal at all if the money is gone.  Some consider even buying a box of macaroni and cheese an unnecessary "splurge".  Nearly any amount of money is too much for some families' budgets and I want all to feel like this is a blog they can read and participate in, no matter the paycheck.

January shopping is still my favorite, but it is important to remember the most important things in life are not things at all.

Blogging is BACK

My original goal of this blog has always been to get a stockpile of ideas, opinions, interpretations...and the lack of reader participation frankly stole that motivation.  Facebook took over for much of 2012 as my blog because I could so easily share and hear responses of others.  However, 2013 is here, and I'm bringing it back to the blog.  My posts tend to get "wordy" for Facebook, not all my FB friends care about saving time, money, and raising young children.  Plus, I don't "friend" randoms or strangers, so the blog is a great outlet to the world....Anyone can follow it, join the discussion, friends or strangers.  So if you stumble upon my blog, but don't know me personally, please stay if the topics interest you.  You do not have to agree with all of my statements or opinions.  Please feel free to read and post or share on your Facebook if you have friends you think could benefit from this discussion.

***ALSO, please answer the poll question on the right side of your screen!*** Thanks!