she works hard for the money.

(via zog)

It's no secret - well, not anymore at least - that I'm not the best budgeter. Shocker. I'm only one person, so my money should last, but after the bills, the groceries, the random purchases at Target...woosh! It's penny pinchin' time until the next payday (It's a glamorous life, what can I say?)


So in my efforts to watch my bank account a little more closely, I've made a budget. I made it all pretty and color-coded in Excel, and if anything - it helps me visually see what I should be spending on certain catagories per month. I haven't stuck to it exactly, but it's a start.



Tonight I went over to my co-worker/friend Summer's house for our first ever coupon tutorial! She made us a yummy dinner, and we all gathered around the dining room table to hear pearls of wisdom from our resident coupon clipper, Kristina (with a K, hayyy). Not only is she one of my favorite people, but the girl knows how to save some serious cash money. She taught us the tricks of the trade on how to save and navigate through the crazy coupon world. Summer, her sister, our hilarious/fabulous receptionist at work and I all sat there in awe of how much we are overspending...on everything!


So as we all hit the coupon blogs tomorrow and hunt for the best priced shaving cream, I'll feel better that an evening of girl talk, vino and coupons can save me (and the ladies) a whole lot of money in 2011. I'm excited. And we're going to have a contest to see who can save the most at the stores. Better watch your back, Safeway. I'm lookin' at you!


Some tips...Not interested in scouring the Sunday newspaper in search for the best deals? Head over to Frugal Living NW where she does nearly all of the work for you (she even provides links to the coupons and tells you where to look in the paper). The trick to saving the most money? Stack your coupons. Use store coupons, with manufacturer's coupons as well as store rewards, and watch your bill seriously reduce. Frugal Living breaks down the ideal scenarios/coupons to use to save the money money. Happy $aving.