I don't know when school starts in your neck of the woods, but here in the Indy suburbs school starts August 11th. Can you believe it?! Summer vacation ends a full five weeks before summer ends on the calendar. When you have school-aged children in the house, the back-to-school season can become pricey. Not only do you have to buy school supplies (and these days, the schools have you buying everything but the toner for their printers and the toilet paper for the bathrooms!), but you also have to add in school lunches, school photos, PTO/PTA membership fees, sports fees...the list goes on and on!
This year, we'll have the added expense of sending a son off to his first year in college. Let me tell you, it feels like you're setting them up for their first house! Refrigerator, microwave, bedding, chairs, lamps, rugs, food, medicine cabinet, cleaning supplies, office supplies.
My husband and I are trying to find new ways to cut costs and keep our daily expenses low. We're going to cut our landline phone service (we all have cell phones now), we're cutting back to basic channels for our satellite, doing away with satellite radio, and trying to find creative ways to cut back on other expenses.
One way I'm trying to save money is just by keeping track of the money I spend on a daily basis. I have a budgeted amount, and I'm trying really hard to stick to it. I found these cute little mini composition books at Target. They measure about 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches. I figure it's the perfect size to keep in my purse.
{recipe: Rockabilly papers, curly label punch, small oval punch, flower punch}
Olay Offer!
One way that I've found to save money is by switching to a lot of over the counter cosmetics and skin care systems. I switched to Olay products when my husband was unemployed in 2007, and my skin has never looked better. I tried Mary Kay, Clinique, and lots of pricey products, and still had breakouts. Now, my skin is clear and I'm spending a fraction of the cost.
Right now, if you visit the Olay website, you can download a $20 rebate form. When you spend $50 in Olay products, you get a $20 debit card sent in the mail. I tried a similar offer last spring, and received my $15 debit card in the mail. I used it to purchase the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper kit, as a matter of fact!
More info here: www.olay.com
Thanks for alerting me to the Olay rebate offer. I buy their sensitive skin face lotion every few months and love it! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's all about baby steps...we can all look at our lives and find ways to easily "cut-back" on our expenses. Financial wizards are now challenging consumers to take a day off from ALL spending. Each week you recognize that day as a free day only. Packed lunches only, no gas stations, no trips to the corner for milk...nothing! Up for more of a challenge? Try this for a week! You'll be surprised what you can live without!
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