Hello everyone. Sorry it has been ages since I posted. I have been crazy busy. I just wanted to share some insight in a book I have been reading and get your adivce on how to stop this.

I have been reading "Shoptism: Why the consumer will keep on buying no matter what." It is a great read, and goes into a lot of details about how the "sell side" keeps trying to trick us using psychology to get us to keep on buying things, even though we don't need them.

The main thing though is ease of everything. We no longer make things for ourselves instead we rather buy it all out of convenience. While the convenience is great, it leads to a lot of Americans no longer knowing how to do simple tasks such as knowing how to fix a rip in your shirt, or even how to cook raw hamburger. There is too much convenience in America, and its to the point of if we ever were stranding on an island, even if it was full of friendly animals, (bunnies, birds, and trout) warm weather, plenty of fresh food ect, we would still all die. Because we don't know how to do anything for ourselves.

So today, I would like if everyone could post a comment about a simple diy idea that makes you more self sufficient.

Coupons are now the craze in today's frugal world. And with all the information available you can get lots of things for free.This leads to consumers "stockpiling" items in their homes. This can be a good thing to have some extra on hand, But shows like "extreme couponing" take things to a whole different level.
Will I really use 300 tubes of toothpaste this year? Or even 5 years? People need to limit themselves on when there actually getting a "good deal" or just wasting money. Buying 20 newspapers a week and spending 3 cents per toothpaste for 200 of them is not a good deal. If you buy 20 newspapers to get a few free items your still spending that initial $30 dollars for those items. Same with toothpaste, even if your only spending 3¢ per tube, if your only going to use x amount before it expires your wasting that money. Follow these tips to keep your stockpiling under control.

1.Follow a 6-12 month rule:
Try to only keep enough on hand for a 6-12 month period. If its a great deal, sure stock up on an item, but your house doesn't need to be overridden with items you might have to throw away before they expire.

2. Get it if it's free, but give it away.
I simply cannot pass up free. If I see a deal that I can get for free, you bet I am going to grab it. I may not need the item, or even use that item, but someone else may. I have a small box that I toss free items in that I know I may never use. This box is then donated to my local shelter or family members who also might be strapped for cash. I can give back to my community but not spending a dime, and without cluttering my house with items i wont need.

3. Don't get more than you can handle.
This is concerning newspapers. I find it a waste to buy 20 + papers a week. 1. If you don't recycle all that extra newspaper and coupon paper is going going right to a landfill. And again do you really need 200 body washes that would be free this week? I get 3 copies of the paper. I buy one, and am giving one by each my grandparents and my 1 uncle. This is more than enough for me. If I can get something free that week, I can get 3, which builds my small stockpile.

4. Don't buy it just cause it is a good deal.
Sure that bottle of pickle smelling lotion only cost 3¢, but am I ever going to want to use pickle lotion? I know my name isn't snookie, and quite frankly smelling like a pickle all day isn't my idea of fun, so why did I buy it? We tend to buy things, even if we dont use it, because it was such a great deal. But it really isn't if it is just collecting dust. So when you see that deal, think realistically. "Am I ever going to use this item?" or "Do I plan to give this item to someone else?" If you answered no, save yourself that 3¢. And save yourself the space at home.




Got any opinions or comments to share on stockpiling or couponing? Would love to hear from you below.

Just a little bit of a rant today everyone.

I will never understand why our credit scores are not free, and even though we get ONE free credit report from each company a year, why cant we check them for free whenever we choose?

We are constantly be judged for these things, but we are never allowed to see them, unless we pay. If the records are about us, and are being used against us, shouldn't we have access to those records? Even in court, if one side comes up with new evidence against the other person, they HAVE to show the other person before using it against them in court.

Also, we should all take measures against identity theft, but if someone steals your info, they could be messing up your credit, without you even knowing. Shouldn't we have access to these records for free to better protect ourselves?

This isn't really about saving money, but then again it is, when you shouldn't be paying for something that is concerning you. You don't pay view your medical files, you don't pay to view your child's grades in school, you don't pay to view your bills, or your bank statement, why should your credit be any different?


I would love to hear you comments on this below.

I'm not posting a picture like I usually do.. Because.. well quite frankly.. Im feeling lazy.

Anyway, today we are talking about goals. I have set 3 goals aside for this week. 1 spend more time with my daughter. 2. Leave my debit card at home, and 3. Keep up with all my money making sites.

Now lets explain
1. I spend lots of time with my daughter, but its normally trips to the store to snag a deal, or making a craft together that serves a purpose. I sometimes forget to enjoy the little things in life, like just watching a spongebob movie with her. (Which is what I did today) So my goal is to relax, and just spend some non-saving money time with her.

2. I work at a grocery store. I don't pack any food because I never work 8 hours. But once your staring at all the food in a store, you get hungry real fast. I always wind up buying a donut, yogurt, or something cheap to snack on. Now I know a donut doesn't cost much, but those pennies add up. So from now on the goal is to bring a snack to work and to leave the debit card at home. This way, even if i do get tempted, i cant buy anything anyway.

3. I have been neglecting the sites I have been using to make money on. I go on a few regularly, but I haven't been getting on all of them. Remember those raindrops into rivers from my earlier post? I'm losing that extra income which defiantly comes in handy later.

Keep this in mind when setting your own goals.

1. Don't take too much on at once.
Set up 3 easy goals and maybe 1 hard goal for you to achieve. Don't overwhelm yourself or you will just wind up frustrated and wont be able to do any of them

2. Do get ready to fail. (its okay)
We are not perfect. That is why we are human. So if I take my debit card to work and buy a donut, or if I dont get to go on my sites that day, you know what, its okay. The purpose of a goal is to TRY. Don't beat yourself up over it and try again tomorrow. You are human after all.

3. Be realistic
Setting up a goal to lose 100lbs in 2 months, isn't exactly realistic. But if you want to lose weight try losing 5lbs a month. You will still feel great that your on the right track, and that you can actually achieve your goal.

Have any goals, or tips on staying on track? Love to hear them below.

Are you constantly cooking? Are you also throwing out leftovers? If you answered yes to either, STOP! Save yourself time, money and your sanity. By saving your leftovers, you can eat them the next day and save yourself a lot of hassle.

I always cook a little more than I know we can eat. This way I have lunch for tomorrow if I am in a hurry, or even tomorrow's dinner. If you don't want to eat the same exact meal twice in a row, check out Allrecipes.com. You can plug in all the ingredients you have on hand to make a new, fun, and exciting meal.

Your saving money by reusing the meals and ingredients you already have on hand. Plus,your saving yourself time. And we all know we don't have enough of that nowadays in our busy schedule.


Questions, comments? Lets hear them below!