Budget Archives - Atlantas Frugal Mom

Christmas in July – 10 ways to start planning now and avoid holiday debt

07/05/2013 by Tiffany

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Being extremely active on social media, I’ve seen tons of updates about how Christmas is just around the corner. As much as I don’t want to start planning right now (procastinator!) it’s important so that I’m not breaking the bank in December. So many families don’t plan for the holidays early enough, and end up putting a lot of their holiday gifts on credit cards. Proper planning and smart shopping starting now can help you save in the long run, and avoid massive credit card bills when the new year rolls around. Check out these 10 tips for making your Christmas as financially un-stressful as possible!

10 tips for planning Christmas on a budget

10. Start making a list of what your kids want – As you hear them ask for specific things, or notice something that they could use, add it to a list. You can easily make a list on your smartphone with an app like Evernote, and access it from anywhere. This will really come in handy once you start actually purchasing gifts.

9. Put aside money each pay period – Set aside a little bit each time you get paid. Cut out stopping for coffee in the morning a few days a week, or maybe pack your lunch for work instead of going out. Use that money for your Christmas fund instead. There are about 25 weeks from the beginning of July until Christmas, so just saving $20 a week means you’ll have $500 to spend on gifts! Be sure that money goes into a separate account so you don’t accidentally spend it!

8. Subscribe to Amazon deals – Did you know that Amazon has Gold Box lightening deals available for a short period each day? Subscribe to get those deals in your inbox and never miss out again! Many of the deals are well over 50% off!

7. Start cleaning out toys – Go ahead and start going through your kids’ toys now, and get rid of items that are broken, missing pieces, or that they have outgrown. Once you pare them down and see what they have left, you’ll have a better idea of what they need. You may realize they already have tons of stuff they still play with, or that they could use more Barbie clothes or Legos for their collection. It’s easier to figure out what to buy when you have an accurate list of what they already own.

6. Talk to your family about what to buy – If you have family members that always give your children gifts, talk to them about what they plan to purchase. If there are specific items that you know your child wants, let everyone know. If you plan to buy something that has accessories or add-on kits, that’s a great thing to clue family in on. Another great way to share your child’s holiday wish list is through a site like GiftBirdy, which lets the kids make their own list online and then share it with others.

5. Shop Craigslist, Ebay, and consignment sales – You can find great deals on gently used (and often new) items by searching Craigslist and Ebay. I’ve also found great gifts by shopping yard sales and consignment sales in during the fall. Your kids are going to open the boxes and use their gifts anyway, so why not buy something that’s out of the box but still in excellent condition? This is a great way to pick up things like toddler toys, video games, outdoor toys and more, for often less than 50% of the regular retail price. (Just be sure to exercise caution when purchasing items from Craigslist. Meet sellers in a very public place, and if a deal sounds way too good to be true, it probably is.)

4. Utilize layaway plans – If you have your eye on a big ticket item that you don’t currently have the money for, see if one of your local stores offers layaway. You can pay a portion of the money up front, and then make payments over several weeks. If the item goes on sale while it’s on layaway, most stores will honor that price and adjust it if you just bring it to their attention. Toys R Us, KMart, and Sears are just a few of the stores that currently offer layaway programs for their customers.

3. Shop daily deal sites – Sites like Zulily and One Kings Lane offer short term deals on popular items. Sign up to get their updates via email, and you’ll know about the big deals as soon as they are available. Last year I got the super popular Pillow Pets for my kids for $1o from 1SaleADay.com for just $10, when they were retailing for at least $25 at other stores! Be sure to share deals your friends would like as well, because most of those sites reward you with credit when your friends place an order.

2. Check out the clearance section – Big name stores like Walmart and Target always have items on clearance, so when you are doing your regular shopping each week, take a second to check out the clearance aisle. I have picked up several gifts at a huge discount that way. I also like to look for clearance deals at local drug stores, and even grocery stores have good deals sometimes!

1. Saving pocket change – Instead of using that change in the bottom of your purse, set it aside for your holiday fund. Just a few coins here and there can really add up! Do the same thing with found money, and you’ll have a nice little stash of cash to add to your holiday budget by the end of the year. Every penny really does count, trust me!

Using these tips and a few others, I managed to spend just $250 on holiday gifts for my six children last year. Christmas on a budget is totally possible, as long as you plan ahead! Need some ideas for budget friendly gifts? Check out the post I wrote with over 100 gifts you can get on Amazon for $2.00 or less, including shipping!

Keep on saving! :o)
--Barbara
**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Filed Under: holidays Tagged With: Budget, Christmas, Gifts, Holidays, Presents

Are you really getting the best deal on gas?

11/29/2012 by Tiffany

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Is driving to the cheapest gas station really worth the savings?

Maybe not as much as you think. The conversation below is one I had with my 11-year-old son recently.

Ryan: “Mom, gas is $3.75 at ABC gas station!”
(alerted by the free GasBuddy app he has on his phone)

Me: “That’s great, but that’s like, 5 miles from here.”

Ryan: “So?”

Me: “I can get gas for $3.80 right here.”

Ryan: “But it’s five cents cheaper.”

Me: “Yes. But by the time I drive to get it, I’m actually losing money. So I’m good.”

Ryan: “Huh?”

(Disclaimer: Math. Yikes!)

Me: “Let’s say our car gets 25 mpg and holds 20 gallons. 20 gallons x $3.75 = $75.00, compared to 20 gallons x $3.80 = $76.00. I would save $1 by getting gas at the cheaper station. However, in driving the additional 10 miles roundtrip to get to the cheaper station, I am using 4/10 of a gallon of gas. Which would cost me $1.50. So I’m actually spending $0.50 more by driving to the cheaper station. I would also spend about 20 minutes driving there and back, and my time is valuable.” (whew!)

Ryan: “Ooooohhhhhh! I get it! So it SEEMS cheaper, but it really isn’t!”

Me: 🙂

Sometimes, driving around to get a deal on gas isn’t actually a deal at all.

Be sure to take a moment and figure out if it is *really* worth it to drive the extra miles.

Have you done something similar in the past, only to realize that you really weren’t saving money in the end?

Filed Under: finances Tagged With: Budget

Ten Gift Ideas for the Whole Family

11/25/2012 by Tiffany

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Often around the holidays, we are faced with buying gifts for families with multiple children. Trying to figure out what to get for each person, and fitting those individual gifts into your budget can be draining, both mentally and financially. One of the things we always suggest to friends and family when they ask what to buy, is that they put together a family present that everyone can enjoy. Here are some great “whole family” gifts that everyone is sure to love.

10 Gift Ideas for the Whole Family

1. Movie passesAlmost all major movie theater companies offer gift certificates or cards that you can load with an amount of your choice. You can also order them online in $25 and $50 denominations if there isn’t a theater near you (Regal and AMC gift cards are available on Amazon). Surprising a family with a gift card that will allow them to take their children to a movie and purchase some popcorn or candy is a gift solution that never disappoints. This works especially well for families with teens or children of varying ages, because everyone loves going to the movies! If that’s still too much for your budget, a movie gift basket is a great alternative. One or two DVDs, boxed candy and popcorn, and a bottle of soda makes for a fun night in, and they can watch the movies over and over in the future. (Psst…if you are a Costco member you can buy cheap tickets online and in store!)

Also, if you live near a Studio Movie Grill, Groupon frequently has a GREAT deal for movie tickets!

2. Museum, Aquarium or Zoo memberships

My children love to visit local museums, and we’ve received family passes as gifts in previous years that allowed us to go multiple times over the course of a year. Many museums have exhibits that change several times a year, so there is always something new to see each visit. Be sure to check and see if their local museum, aquarium, or zoo is part of a reciprocal program, such as ASTC, NARM, or AZA. Reciprocal programs allow families to use their memberships for free admission to other participating museums, zoos and aquariums. Another thing to consider with museums and aquariums is that they are inside, whereas zoos are not, so if they live in an area with extreme weather conditions, they may get more use from a membership that allows them to be indoors during their visits.

3. Video games

We have several gaming systems in our home, but they are specifically for use as a family. If the family you are shopping for has an Xbox or Playstation system, buying them a game that they can play together is a wonderful gift. Just Dance and Mario Party are two of our favorites, as we can play together as a family, instead of just one or two kids zoning out in front of the television. If the family you are purchasing for doesn’t have a gaming system, and it’s in your budget to purchase one for them, there are quite a few bundles available right now on Amazon that include the system, multiple controls, and often more than one game.

4. Board gamesBoard games can also be a lot fun, especially the ones that can be played by a wide range of ages. Yahtzee is very popular in our house, even though the younger ones don’t really understand the concept, we team up and they have fun rolling the dice and writing down the scores. Pictionary, Jenga, and Guesstures (like charades) are fun classic choices too. Of course, if you really want to knock it out of the park, you could go for some newer games that are SUPER popular right now, like Pie Face, Gas Out (eww, I know!) and Speak Out (aka the cheek retractor game). All of these games are simple enough for young children, yet still entertaining enough to keep the older ones involved.

5. Hotel weekend

Who doesn’t love staying the night in a nice hotel? Find a hotel that is close to the family you are shopping for, and book them a room for the weekend. Be sure to look for hotels that have free wifi, continental breakfast, and a pool that is open. Some hotels even offer free happy hour appetizers in their restaurant, or a game room in the lobby. You may not be able to buy them a vacation, but you can gift them a faux getaway, and that can still be loads of fun! We have a hotel about 10 minutes away from us that we love to take the kids to for a treat. They have an indoor pool, a lending library, a game room, a snack bar, free breakfast, and awesome happy hour deals. It’s a ton of fun for them, and a nice break from the stresses of home for us.

These family gifts are sure to be enjoyed by everyone, and you don’t have to go broke buying them. Still not sure? Here’s another quick couple of suggestions below:

6. Outdoor games such as bocce, badminton, trampoline. Check out these great outdoor toys for little ones!

7. Pizza/Date night Offer to take the kids out for pizza while the parents go on a date night. Make sure to peruse Scoutmob and local Groupon deals for date night inspiration, and to try out new pizza places!

8. DVD set of classic movies (Disney is a great choice)

9. Family Fun Center pass (miniature golf, bowling, arcade, go karts)

(If all else fails, and you don’t think any of these would work for your situation, you can NEVER go wrong with #10)

10. Amazon gift card

You can buy one last minute, you can send it via email, and they can choose whatever they want for themselves. Clothes, games, toys, electronics, gift cards, you name it, Amazon has it. Some people feel like gift cards can be impersonal, but I’d much rather get a gift card than some ugly sweater I’m never going to wear!

Have you ever received or given one large family gift?

What do you think about gift cards as presents? Practical or tacky?

*This post includes affiliate links, and I earn a small commission from any items purchased. Maybe even enough to take my kids out for some family fun!*

Filed Under: family, frugal living, holidays Tagged With: Budget, Christmas, Gifts, Holidays, Presents

Money saver! Keep bottled water in your car

10/12/2012 by Tiffany

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

My kids are all old enough to be out of the sippy cup stage, but there are still times when we are out running errands and they ask for something to drink. Rather than stopping at the gas station to get a sugary soda for a buck, I have started carrying bottles of water in my car. I can pick up a case of 24 store brand bottles of water for about $3.00, which comes out to less than $0.13 a bottle. I just throw them in the console in the front of our van, and I can pull them out and pass them around as needed. It’s a quick, inexpensive way to have a drink on hand, and eliminates the need to stop at the gas station and get a drink. And chips. And candy. And all the other things I tend to impulse buy when I’m walking up to the register.

Of course, if you are really organized, you could purchase some water bottles at the dollar store and fill them up before heading out, which would be even cheaper. I have found that once I started carrying water with us, my kids are much less apt to ask for a drink, as they really aren’t thirsty, they just want a treat from the gas station.

Another great way to cut back on impulse spending while running errands is to keep some crackers or fruit snacks with you. If I’m going grocery shopping before lunch time, it’s an easy way to keep the kids from “starving'” without breaking my budget. Planning ahead is always a great idea, it’s just actually doing it that can be a challenge.

Do you find yourself stopping to purchase drinks and snacks for your kids while you are out and about? How much money could you save each month if you just planned ahead and brought some along instead?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Budget

Save big on summertime electric bills

09/18/2012 by Tiffany

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I live in Georgia, where the summers are hot and sticky and all around just gross. Our utility bills tend to be $400+ in the summer months when it’s really hot and humid. This year, we decided to suck it up and set the thermostat a little higher than previous years. We typically set our AC to 72, but this summer we’ve gone with 76-78 instead. It has made a HUGE difference in our electric bill! I was thrilled to find that our bill over this summer was about $100 less each month than last year. That’s $400 extra bucks in savings from June-September just from a 4-6 degree change in thermostat settings!

At first, I though it would be hard to adjust, but since we started out the summer heat with a higher temperature in the home, we’ve adjusted without any problems. Check out the list below for 5 simple ways we keep our home cooling costs down.

1. Open windows and use fans. Sometimes it’s not just the higher temperatures that are uncomfortable, but the lack of air flow. Using box fans in addition to our ceiling fans really helped to keep the air moving in the house. We only set up fans in the rooms we were using, and opened windows in the morning and evening when temperatures were lower.

2. Dress appropriately. When temperatures are high, it only makes sense to dress in light clothing. Instead of wearing jeans and a tshirt, we opted for tank tops and shorts. Wearing sandals or flip flops instead of socks and tennis shoes also made a big difference.

3. Program the thermostat. We set our thermostat for the AC to kick on around noon to 5:00, during the hottest part of the day. There’s no reason to have the AC running at 78 degrees at 2:00 in the morning when we’re all sleeping!

4. Turn off the AC. If we were planning to be gone all day, we set the thermostat to 82 degrees. It’s ridiculous to cool the house to 78 when no one is at home. Setting the air to 82 kept the house at a pleasant temperature without overworking the system, and it was pretty easy to cool the house a few degrees by turning the air back on once we got home. I do not suggest turning the air off completely while your gone, however. Trying to cool your house down from 90 degrees takes hours and you end up spending more because the system runs for hours to try and bring the temperature back down.

5. Change the air filter. Having a clean filter helps to keep your system running more efficiently. Your AC cannot work as effectively if the filter is covered in dust. Replacement filters are only a few dollars and can be changed out in a matter of minutes.

How do you cut costs on your electric bill during the hot summer months? Share your tips below!