WFMW - Tips for Toddlers

How to get a toddler excited about house/yard work and other tasks?
I'm no expert, but at this age they want to do what we do and feel "BIG" so why not include them in on the things we have to do around the house too, to help them become a full member of the family!

Make it fun. 

Let him do it "his way." 

Do it together. 

Don't offer rewards (or they will always be expected and it will become about the reward and not about helping).
Offer praise and encouragement.

washing the car

being okay with the car not being perfect, with the toddler getting soaked, and with it taking 3 times as long as by yourself....but creating memories and bonding in the process

vacuuming the house

being okay with missing a crumb here and there, being willing to make the vacuum kid-size, being willing to let it take longer than normal....but helping your toddler learn how to be a contributing part of the family

Other ideas:

putting trash in the trash can (make it a race)

helping clean up after a meal (make it a part of each meal)
helping with younger siblings (tell them how much of a help they are)

Do you have other great ideas of things to get your kids to help with? I'd love to hear more as we are more at the beginning of this helping process. Got tips for me?

For lots of great tips and ideas, head over to We Are THAT Family today.

Thursday's Simple Tip

There has been a lot in the news recently about the swine flu.
I am not here to talk about it.
Not here to discuss vaccinations and whether or not to get them.
Not here to debate whether schools should close or not.
I am just feeling a strong urge to remind you all of a very simple step you can take to help prevent getting this or any other diseases.

WASH YOUR HANDS

Yep. That's it. That's all I really have to say. It's just that simple.

Wash your hands.

I mean really scrub them. The fast action rubbing back and forth of the palms, enough so they get warm while you are doing it. Now that's a good scrub. You don't know what you've touched, or what has previously touched what you just touched, so treat yourself to a good scrub.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not an overly obsessive type in this area of my life. I am not OCD. I do not carry sanitizer everywhere I go. Well, actually now that I have a baby I do. But it stays in my bag mostly. Just so that I have it if I need it.

So, wash your hands. I definitely think it is worth the 30 seconds or so that it takes to do it.

Wgs RR

This week I don't see much worth my while for making a trip to Wgs or CVS, but by the end of the week, I may have heard about hidden deals and may make it out. I think I can say this very boldly since I feel as though I am really getting the hang of how to make these trips worth the time and effort spent on researching and reading and clipping, etc.
Many things have really helped me to get better in this arena, but really I think it has just come with time and experience. If you don't have these things yet, or don't want to wait, I have just read over a great summary of how to go about the Walgreens experience, especially how to make using Register Rewards work for your benefit.
Go on over here and read another Angela's blog about her tips, and you can also find some links to other great sites discussing similar info. You'll definitely be an expert by the time you are done reading!

Be Simple, Save Money, Go Green - Part 3

Sorry about missing part 3 yesterday. It was a busy day getting ready for some company, but they are out now and I am catching up.
So I have been discussing some simple ways in which any and all of us can go green without too much of a hassle or too much out of our pocket. Going green doesn't have to mean you spend more green. Let's see how this can work.
To find part 1 go here, and for part 2 go here. Now for three....

8. Recycle Your Paper. Yes, there is the part of this where you buy recycled paper. But what I mean is that you recycle your paper. How many times do we print things (besides our resume) that we use but then toss (maybe even recycle) before thinking about using the back. All you have to do is keep a "scrap" pile next to your regular pile of paper and use it whenever you aren't turning it in for a grade or something. You'll end up buying printer paper less often since you are using both sides.
9. Rechargeable batteries. A simple one here, but sometimes we all need a little reminder. Maybe they are a little more expensive to initially pay for, but you will get a much longer life out of them, and then you are not always throwing away the old ones (good job to those of you who may use regular batteries but at least recycle them).
10. Just Start. Take a step, or a jump, or even a leap, but you have to start somewhere. One of the best places to start is simply recycling. This may not help you save a ton of money in the beginning, but sometimes you can turn things in for change, and change always adds up to more change. Start recycling and soon you'll feel good about this and see the changes around you and you'll want to take a bigger leap!

Just start today!
Good luck!

More simple ways to save money and be green - Part 2

Going green doesn't always mean spending more green. There are many ways you can go green and save money! If you missed part 1, go here.

5. Plan out your errands. If you can plan for the day, or better yet, the week, you can clump your errands together, plan the best route possible (to save time and gas) and you can help the environment in the process by emitting less gas.
6. Take your own bags. Invest a small amount into a few reusable bags and you will be making a great investment for the environment. You can easily take the bags with you when shopping and use them instead of plastic bags. They are often bigger and sturdier, plus you can sometimes get a few cents back for using them. Every penny adds up in the end.
7. Take your own mug. This is the exact same concept as before, except with a mug and a coffee shop. Buy a good mug and take it with you when you get coffee. Most places give a discount for using it, and you don't have to throw away the other cup when you are done, thus, you're going green. Plus it usually keeps your drink hotter (or colder) longer!

Don't worry about trying them all today, but start somewhere and you will be making a big impact on both your wallet and the environment. Watch for part 3 coming your way tomorrow.

Simple ways to save money and be green- Part 1

Think the little things don't matter to your wallet, or the environment? I think your wrong! Here are a few simple things to think about trying today so you can save your money and your environment at the same time!

1. Turn the lights off. When you leave a room, turn out the lights, especially if you are not going back to that room any time soon. And whenever you can, use energy-saving bulbs too.
2. Don't go so fast! Especially right when the light turns green and you want to gun it. All you're doing is wasting gas and getting to the next red light faster.
3. Get some fresh air. This time of year is a great time to open some windows and save on heat or air. If you can't utilize your windows quite yet, at least turn down your heating or AC when you are leaving your house for the day, or especially for vacation.
4. Use rags. This is the time of year for spring cleaning. Cut up some old t-shirts and use them as rags to clean instead of cleaning with paper towels.

Come back on Thursday for part 2 of these great ideas to go green and save money!

Friday's Financial Tip-Coffee

MMMMMM...Cooofffeeeee!
I love it! I had no interest in it while I was pregnant (which was probably a good thing anyway) but now that I am no longer pregnant, I love it again!
In the past, I worked at Starbucks for about 3 years and I learned the greatest things about coffee, how to taste it and know where it was from, how to describe it in a mouthwatering way, and how to be a snob about the coffee I chose to drink. Since I no longer work there, and only work part time now, and have a baby...I can't go out everyday and buy myself a cup of my favorite joe. So, I have been trying out different brands, different varieties, trying to find the most frugal yet still delicious cup of coffee!
This is not easy, but I am so excited about the coffee I got in the mail yesterday. I have not tried it yet, but I will very soon. I did the deal that was out in blogger world found through Boca Java where you could pick 4 bags of coffee (granted they are 8 oz bags) for only $4.95, which included shipping. Well, I got my coffee yesterday, less than a week from when I ordered it and now I can enjoy each cup, knowing that I got a great deal and have enough to last until I find the next great deal. Coffee is one of those things I am not willing to totally sacrifice on the taste for the price.

Here are some things you can do if you want to be frugal but don't want to sacrifice taste:
1. Get to know your local coffee store managers, they may want to give you a discount, free cup every now and then, or give you some credit in return for something you can do for them (such as advertising on your blog).
2. Look for deals on line, and don't be afraid of a membership program as long as they state there is no further obligation from you.
3. It is always more frugal to make the coffee at home. Keep trying to get it right, and eventually it will taste better than what you can get in the store.
4. Learn to love coffee and learn to love it black. You will save on creamers and sugars and you can enjoy the coffee purely for what it is!
5. Learn to love cold coffee. If you can't finish the pot you made, don't just dump it, put it in the fridge and make some "iced coffee" for next time!

Enjoy your morning brew!

Looking at the unit price of products

I never allot as much time as I really need to do my weekly shopping. I always underestimate how long my trip might take, and usually have to return home early (to feed my infant) only to make another trip out later. I think eventually I will get faster, as I am still learning where things are located in each store, but for now, I am ok with my speed (or lack thereof) because I feel it is helping me to save money in the long run.

I am new to shopping at CVS and Wgs, but over the last month I have noticed something (on my slow shopping trips) that makes me think twice about buying products. It is so great when things go on sale at these stores, plus they offer a store coupon and there happens to be a mfg coupon available too! But then I get to the store and realize that the original price is so high that including all of the above discounts, the product may be the same price as getting it at Wal Mart, and then I look a little closer and realize how much smaller the product is in these stores compared to a grocery store or discount store! Have you ever taken time to notice this and figure out how "good" the deal really is?

It is not just these types of stores I have noticed this in, though. Have you heard about or noticed for yourself how the packages of things that we have always gotten are getting smaller but costing the same amount of money? It is really hard to tell unless you are looking at an older version and newer version side by side, but if you are a more observant person (sometimes I am a little too observant) you may notice the difference when you look at it or when you hold it.

So, why am I such a slow shopper? Well, besides learning where things are, I am constantly trying to figure out in my head how good the deal really is compared to what I am getting. This is one thing I really like about Wal Mart, thst the unit price is next to the actual price of most products so I can take a wuick glance and know that I am getting the best deal for my precious dollars!

So,
1. Know the products you lost often buy and the best price you can get them for (unit price).
2. Be willing to spend a little extra time in the begining to shop around.
3. Be willing to wait for a better deal to come along; coupons usually last for at least a couple of months.
4. Take a calculator with you.
5. Learn to stretch each dollar a little further.

Tuesday's Tip

I am new to couponing and fairly new to blogging, but I feel as though I am picking up on things quickly. One tip I could give from what I have been learning is that just because a store has a product on sale does not mean that it is the best deal you can get on that product. In the same way, just because you have a coupon for a product does not mean that it is worth using the coupon on that product.
As you start trying to live a more frugal life, hopefully you will start shopping around more, learning to find the very best deal. As you do this, you will soon begin to have a pretty good idea of the average price of things at various stores in your area. Once you become familiar with these prices, you will know what stores offer the best price, and you will know whether or not a sale on an item at a store really makes it the very best deal.
For instance, if you find out that Walgreens is having a sale on you favorite shampoo this week, you may decide it is best to stock up while you can. But if you have done some research and you know that this brand of shampoo is always cheaper at Wal-Mart than the sale price at Walgreens, you will know it is not as good a deal as it might seem at first glance. In the same way, if this shampoo goes on sale at Walgreens, and there is a store coupon, and there is a manufacturer's coupon, and you can get the shampoo pracitcally for free, you should be ok with stocking up on something you know you can always use. But again, only if it is an amazing deal and only if you can get it cheaper with all the sales and deals than you could at the other store with a regularly lower price plus the man. coupon.
In the same way, just because you have a coupon does NOT mean that you should definitely use that coupon. When it gets to the end of a month and I have coupons expiring, I don't want to feel like I have to use all the coupons, no matter what, just because I have them. This does not necessarily mean I am saving money, but instead means I am spending money I would not otherwise spend, I am just spending less because I have a coupon. Sometimes you can get s store brand that is just as good, but for a much lower price than a name brand product with a coupon.
Do your research, know your favorite products, know when to use a coupon and when to store a coupon, and know when it is best to just throw the coupon away.
Do you have a tip that you'd like to share with us?