Monday, July 20, 2015

School shopping (the wise way)

Hey my loves,

Well it's almost that time for the kiddos to return to school (does happy dance)! For most of us parents, it means more time to get things done, and have a little peace and quiet for some of the day. This also means that you have to complete the dreadful outing...school shopping!! 😞😜😳 
Now for me, I have four children (two that are in school) and I know I hate this day. Means that for most of the day you will be shoving through the mall or department store with every other parent out there doing the same thing. So how do you get through it you ask? Here are a few tips to get you through this day:

1. Plan, organize and budget! This is a must when going shopping for your back to school kids. Most schools have school supply lists that you obtain so you know what you need to buy and what you don't. Make sure that if you have multiple children in school that need the same thing, you go to a wholesale store like Costco or SAMs; that way you can get the item need in bulk and you will be saving big bucks! Online shopping is also a good thing. If you order early, you can get deals that you would not find at the stores and if you spend over 50 dollars there is usually reduced or even free shipping. 

Know how much money you have to work with. These days, each child can cost up to 250 dollars for the supplies, clothing, shoes, booksack, and any school fees that may need to paid usually the first week of school. Don't try to get all of these items in one day if your budget can't handle it. What I used to do was save 20 dollars a week from my check during the summer, once school shopping came around I knew I had the money to get everything I needed for the kids. Now some of you may not be able to save that much. Just do what you think your budget can handle, point is be prepared! Tomorrow I will be posting another blog as a part 2 to this blog. It will show you stores to get the most out of your money and what stores to stay away from. If you have any questions or need advice please contact me via email at mrselmore1806@gmail.com or you can leave me a direct message on Twitter. Until next time...

Erica
Aka wife and mama💋

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Extreme couponing

Hey folks, 
I will be starting my venture into extreme couponing and I wanted to share my journey with you. In case you are in the market for saving major money and supplying your family with all of their needs, please take notes!

First thing you will need is time! It can take 12-15 hours just preparing for your shopping trip. 

Organization. You must be organized. Have your coupons ready for your shopping trip and in order by date and product. 

Know your store! If you have a regular store you go to, talk with customer service or a manager for their coupon polices. They should be able to give you something regarding their policy on coupons and transaction polices. Know what sales are going on the day before going to the store.

Items you will need:
An excel program
Newspapers and/or coupon websites
Baseball card holders( for the coupons )
3 in binder 

More tips to come happy shopping 

Erica 
Aka wife and mama

Saturday, July 11, 2015

NEW HOUSE!

I am sorry that I haven't been writing in here for the past several months but I have a good reason..I AM NOW A HOMEOWNER! Whoot! It's been a long time coming and God has made the way for me to get a spacious home for my family and I! I wanted to share my happy news with you all! It was also a fixer upper so I have so many ideas an pictures coming your way in case you all have a home that you would like to fix up! I will also be changing the name of my blog to something more universal and relevant to what I will be writing about; like motherhood, being a homemaker, fixing and repairing your home and more things to come! Please stay tuned and thanks for your continued support! 

Smooches 😘
Erica 
Aka wife and momma