I LOVE clearance racks. In fact 99% of the time I don’t even look at the “regular” racks. I scoff at 40% off and literally “LOL” at 25% off.  Retail prices are outrageous.  I went shopping with my daughter and she brought over a shirt – “regular” price $60…even with inflation and rising costs- $60 for a single plain t-shirt is more than I am willing to spend when Ih ave 4 kids!

I like Quality but I refuse to pay more for a t-shirt than I do to feed that kid for an entire week.  We are a clearance rack family.  There are a few traits you have to embody and embrace to be successful at clearance shopping.

To be a clearance shopper:

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Spring flowers have passed their peaks and if you look in the home stores and nurseries you see a lot of plants that are past their prime this year.  But this is actually the time I best like to buy flowers!

When you go into a nursery and find a beautiful, flowering bush or other plant- the look so pretty so many people buy them and plant them at home.  A few weeks later- all the blooms are gone and they barely had a chance to enjoy them in their garden.  Instead- buy plants that are past their bloom in the fall and plant for a gorgeous garden NEXT year!

Many times I check the “distressed” plant areas in my local Lowe’s and Home Depots and even Walmarts. These plants may look as little wilted or brown but a little bit of TLC, and a fraction of the price, and next year you will see a beautiful plant!

A few tips:

• Check that there is at least 50% of the plant still green.  Depending on the plant you can often prune off the dead parts, feed it and love on it (fertilize, water, etc) and it will bounce back.
• Be sure to get the right shade/sun plants for your area or the outcome will NOT be successful.
• Do NOT buy annuals.  They may be cheaper but you will have to replace them each year.  Perennials are the best bet- they come back year after year.
• Think plants that you can stretch- plants that propagate themselves and grow bigger- think ground covers that spread out or hostas that you can divide as they grow. Plants that can be divided or grown from cuttings are great ways to stretch the budget.
• Start small- try one or two this year and if successful buy more next year.
• Don’t go overboard- be sure you have the room before bringing 25 plants home!

The same goes for houseplants!  I’ve bought SO many “distressed” plants that have taken off once given a little TLC!

 

 

FYI Lowes Home Improvement has changed their Plant Clearance Prices.  I am honestly NOT a huge fan ($5 reg price is now just $4) so I always aim for at least 50% off.

This is a repost but since today is nearly my oldests’ 18th birthday I thought a revamp and reshare is in order!

 

Amanda posted on our Facebook page:

“Do you have any suggestions for throwing birthday parties on a budget? My son’s 2nd birthday is coming up and I am currently on maternity leave so we are watching our pennies. I found some supplies on orientaltrading.com but I wanted to know if you had any other suggestions before I made any purchases. THANKS :)”

Here are some of my favorite tips for budget birthday parties:

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2020 Update: I know that things are strange this year.  We were able to go strawberry picking with all the rules last night! Kept a row of strawberries between everyone and washed our hands before and after picking.

My family LOVES picking strawberries!  But we’ve made plenty of mistakes and I thought it may benefit others to hear about our mistakes!  We’ve picked WAY too many and wasted them all.  We didn’t show our children exactly what they were looking for and had so many green berries that weren’t edible.  We’ve gone too early and too late…so learn from my mistakes and pick the best berries you’ve ever had!

I took my youngest, Isabella, on a preschool field trip a few years ago to the local strawberry fields and we had a blast!

(p.s. She’s was on my lap as I type this and saying “I ate them all!!” and she did…she ate plenty before we got to the end of the row!)

Picking Strawberries

 

• Timing is everything.  Too early and all you get is green, not too sweet berries.  Too late and you find leftovers.  Depending on where you live will determine when your best time is.  In my part of NC the season starts late April through the first of June.  A very wet month, very hot or very dry means strawberries that are less than their best.
• Pick the best berries. Unlike some other fruit, strawberries do not continue to ripen after being picked so you want to pick the ripe berries.  That means a ripe berry is fully red.  Those green tips won’t go away after you get them home.
• Use the right container: It might be fun to fill a huge bucket of strawberries but the more you pile- the more you damage.  Use shallow buckets and pile them no more than 3-4 inches tall.  Better to use multiple baskets than to have one really full basket of bruised berries.
• Pick them Properly.  Grasp the stem just above the berry between the thumb and forefinger.  Pull and twist slightly to remove the berry.  Do NOT remove the stem from inside the berry or tear the leaves off.  Place them gently in the container.  Don’t throw them!

Preparing them at home

• Do NOT wash them.  Washing them speeds up the process of going bad.  Just let them stay “dirty” until right before you are ready to use them.
• Do NOT remove the leaves/stems. This also just speeds the spoiling.  As does keeping them heaped up.  Keep it as it was until you are ready to wash and eat them.

Preserving

There are so MANY ways to preserve strawberries for later.

• Freezing: Wash, cut off tops, slice if desired.  Place on wax paper covered cookie sheet and freeze until solid.  Place in a freezer bag to use for smoothies, etc.
• Canning: Check out tips here.
• Jam Recipe
• Strawberry Popsicles

Strawberries will only last 1-2 days in the fridge and even less on the counter!  Your best bet is to only pick enough you will use in 2 days or prepare to freeze, can, etc any extras right away.

One recipe my family ALWAYS loves is to wash and slice the strawberries and generously sprinkle sugar over them (maybe 2 tbsp of sugar per pound of strawberries)  and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Then use on pancakes or waffles or even just eat by the spoonful!

Find your local farm here!

 

I FINALLY updated this post with some new pictures!

My son showing off his savings.

 

*Update. My twins are 13 now…..I cannot believe it and I’m happy to say that they have continued to save!  In fact they just put their birthday money into their savings up and were excited.  My now 17 year old has been working a 20 hours a week part time job since May and now has saved up $7000 AND she just opened a second savings account so she could start saving for a big trip she wants to take in 2 years when she graduates college.

*This post was originally posted in 2016 but just as true today as it was then!

My son, at age 11, has more cash than my husband and I have had during hard times in our marriage! My fifteen year old daughter has several hundred dollars in her savings account.  I’m so excited that my children have learned to love to save because I remember getting a few dollars for an extra chore well done and being so impatient to get to the store to spend it.  Spend it on anything just because I had it.

Instead, my children rush to put it in their money banks.  They celebrate each time they hit that next milestone.  $50!  $100!  $200!  They keep changing what they are saving for but my son’s answer has been my favorite so far, “Something big, that I just have to have.”  He says by saving his money when it comes along he’ll have the money to get it.

We don’t require our children to give money to charity.  (Don’t get me wrong- we believe that charitable giving is very important but believe that it can be in the form of time, items, service, etc. and we raise our children with that belief).    We don’t pay them for daily or weekly chores but they get their own money in a few ways.

• Each birthday they are given the option of having a class birthday party or getting $100 in cash to spend as they wish.  Since my oldest (now 17) was 7, she has chosen the cash and her siblings have followed suit.  From what they’ve told me is that they not everyone in their class is their friend, or even nice to them, so they’d rather not have to invite them all to a party.  We do cake and ice cream celebration with family and a close friend or two.
• My son collates my coupon inserts every week.  I generally pay him $0.50- $1 per set depending on how many pages are in each insert.  With the 4 big inserts the first Sunday of January and having picked up extras, he earned $10!
• They have the option to do extra, non-regular, chores to earn a few extra dollars.  This isn’t regular but when there is something I need done that I don’t have the time (or energy) to do – I offer it up for whichever child wants it.

There are a few things we’ve done to help foster this tendency to save rather than splurge in our children and I hope it sticks!

Teach them the cost of a purchase.

We might be in the store and my daughter asks for a candy.  It might be less than a dollar and something we can afford, but I want my children to learn that things they want need to be earned.  So I remind her that if she wants that candy that she could use her money.  I might say “What chores do you do that earn you $1?”  She’ll reply with a chore like organizing the cabinets or scrubbing the trash cans.  “Is that candy bar worth having to do that?”  The answer varies, but often the reply is, “There is a different kind of candy at home.”  and the candy bar gets put back.

They are learning to equate what they want with what it really costs them- their time & energy.

Teach them to anticipate it.

We are so used to instant gratification.  We want something, we get it now.  The anticipation of a reward is often what makes it the best.  Working hard and earning something is what makes a reward a reward.  For my pre-teen, she is saving for a car.  She has only a year to go now- but the anticipation of what car she will get (Mom approved of course) has kept her on track.  What about having them make a dream board for the things they want to save for.  Plus that might help you around birthday or Christmas time!

Set an Example.

Talk about what you are saving for.  When we were saving for our trip to Disney World – we told them and kept them updated.  “We’re half way there!” or “We’re going in February!”.  When we were saving to have a pool installed- we kept them updated.  Now I have four fish who spent nearly the entire summer swimming- and appreciating those times I said NO to ice cream or Starbucks.  Now we’re working on saving to have our shed converted into an amazing playhouse.  We met that goal and now we are saving for a big family trip to Puerto Rico!   While my children don’t know the specifics of our finances- we do keep them in the general loop of our financial goals.

Keep it Tangible (for a while).

My fifteen year old understands the concepts of banks and interest.  My eleven year olds just know that if they put it in the bank- they don’t have it anymore.  I think the idea of a bank account holding their money is just a little beyond them right now- so until it really clicks- we let them keep their money in actual bills and coins.  Counting his money re-motivates my son to earn more.  He’s really gotten the idea of work hard, earn money, use money to get the items you want (or do the things you want to do).  So for a while- we’re keeping the money tangible for my younger kids.

Let them make mistakes.

It was painful- for me as much as my son.  He saw this practical joke kit he really wanted.  It was about $15.  I knew it was a bad idea.  I told him it was a bad idea.  I told him again it was a bad idea.  “It’s junk, honey.  It won’t last.”  “Please Mom.  I really want it.”  “It’s your money, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”  $15 and 15 minutes later- the piece of junk was in the trash.  Thankfully it only took this one bad choice to teach my son that junk is junk and not worth the money.  He also learned that Mom is a lot smarter than she looks.  I wouldn’t let him blow all his savings- but this was a $15 lesson that I don’t think he will forget- that was a LOT of inserts he collated for those $15.

Learning how to save money and really think about what we spend is an important lesson I want my children to learn early.  I’d love to hear your tips for teaching kids how to save & love it!

 

 

p.s. I have started an etsy shop and among the custom items I am offering is this give save spend piggy bank that is customized!

 

 

With a bunch of kids who seem to out grow clothes before they even get worn more than once- thrift stores and clearance racks are my best friends.  Thrift stores can be overwhelming because they often are not set up like regular stores with all the same items together.  Most stores are separated into general sizes (baby, toddler, teen, adult) and there are all sorts of things together.  Here are my top tips for making thrift store shopping successful & saving the most money.

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 How Cutting Out Paper Towels Saved Money

True Story- my family used a ton of paper towels every single day.  From spilled milk in the morning to wiping off the counters- we used a lot of paper towels.  On a bad day- we could go through an entire roll. That’s a lot of paper towels (and thus a lot of trees gone and a lot of money in the trash can.)  Paper towels are expensive- even with coupons and a sale! It seemed like every week we were using roll after roll.  A 6 pk wasn’t lasting too long.

I decided enough was enough about a year ago and we haven’t looked back.  In fact- the number of paper towels I’ve purchased has dwindled to nearly NONE!  I have had the same packs in the garage storage for nearly a year now!  I only buy them when they are super super cheap to keep on hand for those messes I just can’t stand to use a dish towel for- like body fluids (human or our 4 footed friend) or for the super super messy things like kids finger painting!

As I’ve found clearance hand and dish towels I’ve snatched them up. It doesn’t have to be a “kitchen” towel- I’ve found very little difference in the mess cleaning power of a rag labeled “kitchen” versus one labeled “wash cloth”.  The wash cloth sized towels have been perfect for our family as kitchen towels.  They have such enough space for most messes but don’t take up a lot of room.

I’ve found great deals at Dollar General and JcPenney and Kohls.   I got a cute basket at the Dollar Tree and keep the washrags and towels in there.  As they are needed we simply take one out.  Sometimes we can use the same one all day- rinsing it out and wiping off the counters with a little soap and other times (like the day the blender exploded milk shake all over the counter, me and the floor) we use it and immediently place it in the laundry basket.  At this time I have about 50 of the small washcloth sized towels- this is important for my family because I hate doing laundry and will put it off as long as possible (until one of us starts to run out of socks or other necessary apparel items!).

The rags are lasting me at least a year so far- because I have so many they are not getting used or washed too often so I think my investment is paying off.

Estimated investment into cloth rags: $20.00 (I grabbed lots of 10 pk for around $2.50 each during after dorm sales and on clearance)

Paper Towel estimated cost: .50 roll x 3 rolls a week = $1.50 week x 52 weeks =$78.00/year  (and that’s pretty conservative for my family!)

The $20 in towels has already lasted me a year and even tossing a few due to wear and tear or extreme staining I expect that they will last me another year.  So $10/year in rags versus $78+ in paper towels….  $68 might not seem like a lot but besides the cost savings, we are being “greener” to the environment by not having trees harvested to wipe up messes to less trash bags we’re paying to be picked up- it really has made a big impact in our daily lives.

Even if I buy a 6 pk or two of towels a year ($6 or so after sales and coupons)- we’re still coming out far ahead reusing cloth towels.  And the cost in water and detergent is minimal since I have to do a load of regular towels every week anyway – these small scraps of cloth don’t really add any measurable extra cost there.

What disposable item have you swapped for a reusable variety?

9/10/15 update: I just wanted to update on this.  I am still loving being paper towel free!  In the past several months we’ve used only about one roll and that was because we had a cook out.

2/20/16 Update: We’re still going strong and loving it.  A few have worn completely out and I found some clearance deals

4/7/2020 Update: Still going strong. Of the originals from years ago…we maybe have one left? if that.  But as I find clearance deals I add them to the stack and the worn out ones go to the garage.

Couponer or not- checkout is where your shopping trip can be derailed.  It means your $20 cart of groceries could actually cost you a lot more- and not just in money- but time too! Here are the biggest mistakes I’ve seen- that cost BIG!

 

Not Double Checking your Cart

This is close to your last chance to avoid paying $2 for that slice of cake that you really don’t need or want…but looked so good. Or change your mind about buying that box of crackers you really don’t like- just because it is 75% off.  Do a quick glance through your cart to be sure that what you are about to pay for is really worth it.  I always walk the items I change my mind on back to where it belongs because I feel if I took it off the shelf…I should put it back (that’s when I actually appreciate bringing my older kids to the store- they can put any unwanted items back!) but most stores will do it for you.

 

Not Ringing Items Up In the Best Order

Cashiers grab into a cart, scan and move on to the next item. By the time you hand over your rainchecks, coupons or other discounts- the item it is for may be six bags deep in your cart.  Put the items that may cause issues first.  Any item you have a raincheck for should be put on the scanner first- and the cashier alerted that you have a raincheck. Any items with a “free” item coupon or a coupon you know may cause issues at the register.  This way it can be taken care of with the item in hand- rather than digging around for it at the end.

Items with a digital coupon I have rung up and then subtotaled to ensure it comes off.  It’s hard to catch that single line discount at the end when all the loyalty card discounts are applied!

 

Not Watching The Screen

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