Helpful Hints from Holly

Gotta make this short and sweet but here are a few ways I have found to help streeeetch our budget to cover our expenses.

• Mint.com-life/time saver. Keeps track of everything, including student loans, credit cards, even has a way to implement cash spent-brilliant and FREE.
• THINK- before I buy anything right now I try to think about if I would rather be spending that money on something else, i.e. Do I really need to spend $10 on lunch for just me? that means I won't have that $10 when I need it to put towards date night-when I think of something I would rather put the money toward it loses it's appeal and I usually don't splurge on it. 
• Can I make that?- I will take something homemade over store bought any day-and so will just about anyone when it comes to gifts (at least women do!) I make it a habit to hand make cards, for instance, which might not seem like a big deal but if you get a Hallmark Card it will cost you at least $3, usually 5 or 6! 
• Home Cookin Preferred!- Yes, it does take more time to prepare but it's almost always cheaper and more fun especially if you have kids-just small things like making real lemonade instead of paying $10 or whatever ridiculous price you would pay at restaurant for a gallon. Allrecipe.com is my favorite for meals.
• Use the Internet for all it's worth!- some people say that cutting out the internet in your budget will save you money because you don't "need" it, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I have saved more time and money through the internet that it's well worth it's spot in my budget. Do It Yourself blogs, sites, Youtube and even just asking on FB for advice has saved us hundreds of dollars when it comes to repairing or making something ourselves rather than calling a specialist. Not to mention there is an answer to just about any need you could have-Google is my favorite money saver.
• Ride the bus-Yeah, I know it's a bit of a pain but Kyle recently has started using a Park and Ride bus that goes from Newnan (the stop is about 5 miles from our house) to Atlanta. By doing this we save money on gas, parking, car maintenance and wear and tear, etc. Plus, it give Kyle a stress free drive to and from work so he can read and have some time to himself. 
• Use an Insurance Agency-Insurance agencies take your info and get quotes from all different companies who you would normally have never even heard of. The companies bid lower because they know the agency has the ability to compare prices from everyone else and they want the Agent to recommend their business so they can have you as a customer. Also, they handle all the details for you and will help you find a place that you can have a combined Home and Auto Insurance bundle which saves you money too. I called my agency today (The Harbin Agency) and asked if we could get a lower rate since Kyle is only driving a few miles now instead of to Atlanta (due to the bus) and we are getting a rebate check in the mail and a significant cut in our monthly bill. FREE-and saves you time and hassle-they do all the work!
• Ditch Cable-seriously. Who needs it? With Hulu and just about every major tv channel having their own websites where you can watch full episodes free it's just not justified to pay for tv anymore. If you have kids, take them to the library and let them pick out movies and shows to watch-it's free and they won't be watching all those commercials that market toys they don't need. Besides all that who gets anything done with cable? Not me. Life's too short to spend it watching tv all day.
• Facebook Saving- For real-most companies now have Facebook sites and they advertise specials, offer giveaways and coupons.
• Coupons-you can do the AJC newspaper ad thing and go to CouponMom.com for tutorials on how to maximize on that system but you can also print coupons for groceries and retail stores.
• Promo Codes- There are promo codes for just about everything-when buying anything online go to RetailMeNot and check for a promo code before buying. 
• Buy Refurb-even Apple sells refurbished products-almost all electronic sites have a section for this, you just have to find it-it can save you hundreds of dollars and usually you get the same warranty as if it were brand new. We bought a lawn mower at the end of the summer last year "refurbished" (John Deere, not a cheapo brand) and paid less for it than any of the lesser quality brand tractors, just because someone bought it and returned it and the factory had to fix it and send it back. It works perfectly and came with the warranty. Totally the way to go.
• Clearance-always, ALWAYS check clearance before buying full price merchandise. I went to BabyGap to buy clothes for Bella and ended up paying only $3 for some of her clothes...you can almost always get the brand or quality you want of something, you just have to wait for it to go on sale!
• Phantom  Power Usage- pull the plug on your unused electronics! (google it and see how much money you are wasting-you'll be more inclined to take the time to unplug things!
• Craigslist and Freecyle- Craigslist has been great for large purchases we need to make but don't have the money to buy new-like we got our washer/dryer via Craigslist and one of our cars-and made a few friends in the process! You have to be careful about it but it's worth it. Freecycle is amazing! People give away SO MUCH -you just have to be available to go get it. Usually people will hold items for you if you really need it.

That's all for now-baby woke up-hope this helps some of you out! Share any money savers you know too :)