I'm a Believer!

Okay I'm going to totally gush on this post so if you ever thought about ways to save money keep on reading.  Here's my check list: I'm a stay at home mom, we just moved to a different state and we just bought a house.  All three of those things could probably tell you that we recently spend a HUGE bulk of our savings and we need to save every new penny that comes in our doors.

I save $70.44 on this trip.

The hard part? My hubby and I are admittedly impulse buyers. It doesn't matter if it's the grocery store or the mall we tend to walk home with things we weren't planning on coming home with.  It didn't matter very much before while we working but now that kind of spending is just asking for trouble.

I've always been interested in couponing. I've seen the shows and read other mom's blog and I was always amazed that they could find such great deals.  I've kept an eye on a really great blog called The Coupon Project for the past year but I was never serious about trying all the tactics.  I really tried out her tips this week and I'm AMAZED.  On average at each shopping trip I save about 50% from my bill.  My refrigerator and pantry are completely stocked with food.  I even have meats and produce too!  The best part is I'm under $80 for the grocery budget I set for this month.  So besides milk, fruit and orange juice we're good for the next month.  I love the fact that I can provide my family healthy meals, save money in the process and not have to run to the store all the time.  Her blog is really easy to follow, she provides the place, deal, coupon link, making and keeping to a budget.  I highly recommend her site if you've ever been interested.  I can't wait to see what kind of savings I'll see after I've been at this for a few months.  Are you a couponer?  What's the best deal you've gotten?

Cooking Memories

I can't cook. Wait! No, I can cook but I'm not a foodie.  I hope I would eventually get there but right now I'm more of a get something on the table to feed my family.  I admire those that can whip up an amazing meal on the spot from scratch.  If you're own of those, this awesomeness is for you.  Do you have all your recipes in your head or written down on flash cards or note book paper?  Wouldn't it be great if you could have them all in one spot, printed and bound like a real cook book? Or if not your recipes, your mom's or grandma's?  Wouldn't be a great gift to give your mother or grandmother something like that.  If you're interested, check out this deal below and tell me what you think.

Back to School

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bealls. All opinions are 100% mine.
Walking through the malls or the local shops I can't help but notice that it's that time of year when "back to school" shopping is a high priority on most mom's minds.  Fortunately, my daughter is only two so I have a few years before I have to deal with that frenzy.  My aunt however, is going through that with my younger cousin.  She's a little fashionista in training and only the latest trends will do.  At the tender age of thirteen she pairs skinny jeans, a stripped tunic under a solid cardigan with a wide belt and a pair of hoop earrings.  All her outfits have to be what's in style and she could give me a mommy make over without batting her eyes.
When it is my turn, I will buy most of the "back to school" things online rather than face the crowded malls.  I already do most of my shopping online.  I seem to find better deals for less hassle.  I love the fact that I can browse through different colors, sizes and departments in my pajamas and have my items delivered to me.  Bealls offers the best combination of deals I've seen in a while.  For this weekend only, if you shop during Friday through Saturday every piece of clothing or shoes you buy is tax free for Florida residents.  If your order is over $50 you get $10 off your purchase and there is no shipping charge.  Right now there is Mega Sale for "back to school" items and I've seen things marked down as high as 58%.  Those kind of savings would make my wallet happy.
Even though I'm not shopping for back to school the deals were so good I found something for Izzy.  She absolutely LOVES Dora the Explorer and I found a backpack that looks just like the one from the show for 40% off at Bealls.  That would be great to pack up some toys to go to grandma's or to pretend she's going to school.

Saving for College too Daunting?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPromise. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now that I am a first time mother and a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) I am thinking about my own daughter's future.  Every decision we make for our family, it's done with our daughter in mind.  It was a tough decision to stop working to become a SAHM.  I know the other SAHMs will agree with me when I say that finances are tough and budgeting is extremely important with only one income.  With a two year old at home saving for a college tuition sometimes goes by the way side the months when money is really tight.

I am SO excited to share information about Upromise's 10th Anniversary!  Upromise is a rewards program through Sallie Mae that helps their users save money for college.  To date they've already awarded over $600 million dollars in college savings.  Well, this year they are celebrating their 10th Anniversary by awarding $20,000 to their users that write a story about how they support their child's dream.

All it takes is visiting their site at www.upromisetodream.com and submitting your story.  It only takes minutes to sign up as a user and write your story You can also vote for your favorite story by visiting their Facebook page and "liking" them.  Upromise will give away $1,000 to 10 winners and a grand prize winner for $10,000 will be selected from the participants as well.  Check out the dream wall official rules for more information.

College is expensive and at some institutions one year costs more than a car.  The most important thing to me is to be able to give my daughter the opportunities that I had growing up.  I want her to have her choice of any college she wants to go to.  I don't want to ask her not to go to a college she's accepted at because we can't afford it.  I want my daughter to have the best opportunities and the best chance I can give her, starts with a college education.

I filled out my story under Maryann @ Mama Tales, so if you see mine send over a vote.  Or leave me a comment with the name of your story so I can send one your way.  Mammas don't hesitate!  Here is a sweepstakes to help you send your babies to college!   Let's keep this going in all the mommy blogs and communities.  Please repost this on twitter, Facebook, etc. and spread the word to other families than could use help with a college tuition.

Help Support Our Dream for Izzy

I entered Izzy for a chance to win money for her college fund. Please help and support us by clicking on "like" under our profile, Maryann @ Mama Tales. You can follow the link http://www.upromisetodream.com/ind-stories.html?storyID=11832. Thank you!


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Relocating

We're relocating to WA state in a little over a month.  I'm excited and a little apprehensive about the move.  I've come to love our current home and will miss it.  I'm not looking forward to the packing, unpacking and decorating to make our next house a home like this one was.  With each move there is an ENORMOUS job of sorting through the "junk" we've accumulated and identifying the pieces we will need for the new house.  I hope this will be the last relocation and WA state will be our permanent place to live.

I've already started sorting the pieces of furniture we're not bringing.  The bed in the guest room is over 7 years old so that definitely has to go.  My hubby got it while he was stationed in England and it's an unusual piece.  I was lucky enough to find a replacement queen storage bed.   I really like the South Shore Breakwater Queen Bookcase Storage Bed in Chocolate Finish and it helps that it's 27% off right now.

I also found a great accent chair through become.com for the spare room.  It's a Knoll Bertoia Side Chair, it's made of chrome with your choice of color for the seating pillow and the frame.  I'll probably choose red for a pop of color.  Fortunately, those are the only pieces of furniture we need to replace. After going through become.com, I also found a 5Pcs Twin XL Bedding Multi Dots Microfiber Comforter Set that would go great with Izzy's room.  The move will give me the perfect opportunity to redecorate her room which I wrote about here.

A special thank you to www.become.com for supporting Mama Tales.