Play like a tourist, PAY like a local!

This year has been hard on many of us, and the vacation funds seem like the first thing to go, but with Hilton Head Island right around the corner, it seems fitting that we plan our vacation here this year.  Tourists spend thousands of dollars coming from all over the country to enjoy the beaches, food, and lush island that for us is practically home for those of us that live in Bluffton.  So this year, let's be tourists in our home towns.  There are so many activities that we have not done on the island, so many restaurants that we have not yet dined in and many possibilities to accommodate our tastes on the weekend.  BUT . . . you know me, we need to save money and set a budget for our mini-vacation.  As the island has just had it's best tourist month in July, Hilton Head businesses will begin salivating for locals pretty soon.  The drop off happens right after labor day when the kids head back to school, and the local businesses begin to offer more specials, put out more ads and coupons, and are practically begging for local support. 

This is the time for you to plan a full day of activities for the entire family on the island.  Enjoy the beach, eat out at the local restaurants, and pretend that you have traveled many many miles for this paradise when in reality you only had to sit in the car for 20 minutes.  That is my kind of vacation, cheap, easy and fun.  Here are some tips and ideas that you can use to make the most of your money in the Hilton Head area:

1. Use COUPONS - I'm pretty sure that I've said this before, but knowing where to find the coupons is the key.  Hilton Head businesses spend thousands of dollars each year to print these coupons and it is our job to use them. 
2. Check websites for specials and happy hours
3. Ask if the restaurant or business offers any locals discounts, many do but they aren't advertised and they want your business in the off season, so even if they don't have an actual special, they may give you something just to bring you back in again.
4. Join the Hilton Head Insiders Club which offers a card that brings with it many discounts in the area:  http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/hilton-head-insider/restaurants.php

Check the websites below for coupons, ads, and specials to help in planning your day on the Island:

Places to Save: http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/hilton-head-insider/restaurants.php
Hiltonhead.com: http://www.hiltonhead.com/Main/Coupons.aspx

If you are located outside of the Hilton Head area, vacation close to home this year.  Go online and check out the specials, visit a museum or historical site that you have never toured - take advantage of what your city has to offer!

Keep Digging!

     The first step to digging out of debt is to know your actual total of debt.  So many people who I have spoken with over the past few weeks readily admit that they don't actually know what the real number is.  If you don't know what you owe, it will haunt you forever because you will inevitably have lingering debt.  Sit down, Right Now, as you read this blog and pull out a piece of paper.  If you are more of a computer person like me, open up a blank excel sheet.  Make a column for each of the following:  Debt Name, Total Amount, Monthly Payment.  Make a list of every debtor that you owe money to starting with your home, cars, student loans, etc.  Pull out the bills, don't estimate, add them all up and know your number.  Knowing your total debt is the first step to digging out of the hole of debt that you are in.  If you are the one who pays the bills and deals with the finances in your marriage, after you have the list, show your partner.  If by chance you are not the one who takes care of the finances, find out the answer to this question and get involved.  One partner should not hold the full responsibility of the stress of debt. 
     In my marriage, I am the one who deals with the bills, checks our finances, moves money to our savings account, and makes most of our financial decisions.  BUT, I often ask my husband to sit down with me after I have completed our budget, or from time to time, I give him the bills and have him pay them.  I want him to know what we have, what we owe, and where we are financially so that he is just as responsible for the numbers as I am.  It helps strengthen our marriage because if the money times are stressful then we are carrying the burden together, and we can make informed decisions together as well.
     After you know your debt, you need to track your debt.  I currently use mint.com for my tracking, but there are many other programs and ways to do this such as Microsoft Money.  On mint.com, I link all of my accounts into the system and it automatically tracks my income and spending so I can check to see how much money over the course of a year that I spent on groceries, gas, restaurants, you name it.  Now, it is a computer, so it isn't perfect and you do have to do a little work to make the most of the system.  From time to time you need to go in and code the transactions to the proper categories or reclass the items that it coded incorrectly, but for the most part it helps to paint an accurate picture of your spending and areas that you need to address.  Just in using this program, I was able to find out that we have a problem with our spending in the area of Food and Dining which is why it is a major focus of mine.  In some months, we are guilty of spending almost $2,000 on food and dining which encompasses groceries, restaurants, fast food, etc.  All I could think when I saw some of those numbers is, "That is ridiculous, we should be obese with that much money spent on food."  As it is, we love to eat out, snack out, and overall eat anywhere but in our home.  That is why we have vowed to make a change. 
     Especially now that we have children, we have realized that if we spend a little bit more on quality foods at the grocery store, we can have a really nice dinner in, after the kids have been put to bed.  So this week I purchased 2 NY strip steaks from Publix because they were on sale.  Paired with the broccoli that was on sale at Kroger and 2 Baked potatoes w/ butter and sour cream, our entire meal will total $14.12.  Pretty cheap for a date night I must say, and my husband really enjoys cooking our steaks on the grill which makes for a great dinner.

Girls/Guys Night Out

When working with a family budget things like dinners out, entertainment, and girls or guys night out get a little tough but as you know, I am not in support of giving up these things completely.  Within reason, you can still enjoy a fun night out while not blowing your budget.  Here are some tips to follow when going on a girls or guys night out:

1. Know where you are going ahead of time and take time to look at the menu before you leave.
2. Figure out what you are going to order before you go, this will help you to avoid impulse ordering and over ordering.  Knowing what you are going to order before hand can also help you order a more healthy meal as well.
3. Check online for any coupons that the restaurant or bar may offer, print them and take them with you.  Even if it's only 10%, it will help you to be able to make the most of your money.
4. Set a budget, and stay within your limits.  If items do not have a price on the menu, ask your server for  a price before you order. 
5. Try to suggest a place that offers happy hour or nightly specials - this will ensure that you can stay out longer and enjoy a few more drinks or food items

Last night was girls night out at Mi Tierra.  I researched ahead of time and found out that they offer a happy hour from 4 to 7pm with margaritas at $4.00, domestic beers at $2.00, and import beers at $2.50.  I also checked the menu ahead of time and found a healthy salad choice for $6.25.  I set a budget for myself of $20.00, and I found a coupon on the Mi Tierra website for 10% off, which I printed and brought with me.  Even though I am a lover of Margaritas, I opted for a cheaper and lower calorie import beer.  The total price for 3 Sols, and a 2 Tostadas salad was $15.64 including my 10% off.  I was well under my budget and even had plenty of money for tip.  SUCCESS!

Sales Tax Holiday Weekend

This weekend, Friday August 6th to Sunday August 8th will be South Carolina's annual tax free shopping weekend.  Most of the tax exempt items apply to school supplies and back to school shopping but the free taxes cover so many items.  Take advantage of the savings in Bluffton this weekend if you have any shopping to do for clothing, diapers, shoes, school supplies, linens, and/or computers.  Just because you don't have a child going back to school doesn't mean you can't take advantage of this amazing savings.  Just to give you a quick idea of your savings this weekend, diapers qualify as a tax exempt item, which are normally taxed at 7% here in Bluffton.  If a package of diapers costs $19.99, you pay an additional $1.40 in taxes at the checkout, so this weekend in addition to the coupons that you have undoubtedly cut out of your local paper this week, you will save an extra $1.40 per box of diapers.  Below is a link that you can go to find all of the tax exempt items and will answer any questions that you may have about the tax free weekend:

http://www.sctax.org/NR/rdonlyres/45D2A22E-7E52-4153-9782-7EE4B262A844/0/RR107.pdf

The sales are also still going on this weekend for back to school shopping so now is the time to buy if you have been holding off on something you need.  And if you keep to your budget and only bring cash into the store you can assure yourself that you will not overspend or add to your debt!

Check my "Grocery" page to see all of the items that I bought with $120.00 last Sunday, and be sure to clip those coupons from your free copy of the Bluffton Today that appeared in your driveway this morning.

Dinner out for 4 for $20 in Bluffton!

Many financial advisers will tell you that in order to get out of debt and save money, you must cut back on the luxury spending. Suze Orman advises debt ridden folks to take a challenge of not eating out for a week, then after doing a week she challenges you to do it for a month. I whole heartily disagree with this logic. Upon taking on this challenge I had a binge where I am dying to get out and have dinner at a restaurant so we go out one night and pay absolutely no attention to our spending, and go on a BINGE! If your personality is anything like mine, "Going cold turkey," is not the way. Drastic changes are difficult and painful, whereas small changes over time can equal drastic ones in the long run. My advice is this: Make a list of what you consider to be your luxury spending items, these are items that are not considered to be a necessity such as Starbucks coffee and going out for meals in general. After your list is complete, rank the list by what you feel is most important to you or what you personally do not think you can live without. Here is my list:

1.  Going out to dinner w/family
2.  New clothes/toys for the girls (fun stuff not necessity items)
3.  Travel Spending
4.  Girls/Guys night out
5.  Date Night
6.  Going out to lunch
7.  Lowes spending for Ben
8.  Starbucks Nonfat Sugar-free Vanilla lattes
9.  Sodas and biscuits for Ben J
10.  New books for me

Once these items are ranked in order of importance, pick the top two of them and set a budget for your spending, since my top one is "Going out to dinner w/family", I have set a budget of $20/week. In an envelope, I put $20 that I took out of the ATM for us to have dinner, so the choice is ours, we can have a cheap meal once a week or a nicer meal out every other week. Either way I feel like I'm cutting back but not sacrificing completely. For me, this is my cake and eating it too. I am still sticking to a budget and trying to live within my means but not going crazy and putting any money on the credit card that we can't afford. In my other categories, I am cutting back almost completely to accommodate my dinners out. We have started packing our lunch daily, taking coffee in our stainless coffee mugs from home, and bought new water bottles to refill throughout the day to curb soda spending. If you want to do the $20 dinner challenge, here are some good ideas in the area where you can feed a family of 4 for $20 or less!

• Romeo's Pizza
• $12.99
• 1 Lg 2 Topping Pizza, 6 Breadsticks, & 2 Liter of Coke or Sprite
• http://www.romeospizzasbluffton.com/Coupons/Coupons.html
• Monster Pizza
• $13.00 Medium Pizza, use coupon to get a free topping
• http://www.monsterpizzasc.com/printable_coupons
• Fiesta Fresh
• 2 Kids meals, 2 taco or enchilada combo plates w/ 2 adult drinks $19.30
• Kids meals come with a drink
• Jim n Nicks
• Taco Tuesday (all tacos are $2.49 each, mex beers $1.49 each)
• Family BBQ Dinner to go - $19.99 - 1 lb meat, 2 sides and 6 cheese biscuits
• Moe's Southwest Grill
• Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays w/adult purchase
• Wednesdays - $5.00 for any burrito and drink
• Chick-Fil-A
• Kids eat free on Tuesdays w/adult purchase
• IHOP
• Kids eat free everyday from 4pm to 10pm w/ adult purchase
• Jersey Mikes
• Kids get a free mini sub, chips and drink from 3pm - 9pm on Wednesday w/reg sub purchase
• Mi Tierra
• Tuesdays - Kids meals are 99 cents w/ adult entrée purchase
• One Taco or enchilada with rice and beans $5.25
• Giuseppi's
• You Call It Wednesday! EVERY WEDNESDAY - From 6-10pm....The time you call in your order is what you pay for a large 1-topping pizza! So if you call at 6:01 pm you pay $6.01 for a large 1 -topping pizza!

I'm sure that there are many more, share some if you have them!

Change and common cents . . .

Don't be afraid of change!  Sometimes change is hard, but change can be exciting and empowering.  Even though this blog is only a week or so old, I have been on this journey for a while.  In November last year, we traded in my Toyota Sequia that we leased and bought a Toyota Venza.  We learned the hard way that a lease was not right for us due to the amount of miles that we put on the car and ended up paying a hefty mileage penalty when we turned it in.  Lesson learned, and letting go of that car was very hard for me because I loved my SUV.  I had always wanted one, and I really enjoyed driving it.  BUT . . . between gas, accidents, and the increasing cost of insurance due to the accidents, we just could not afford that car.  That is really hard for me to say, "We just couldn't afford it."  But saying it out loud makes it a little more true.  I can remember when the gas pumps would shut off at $75 when I would go to fill up, my gas tank would not be full but I was not going to put my card back in to start it back up again, so when the price of gas was rising, I had no idea how much it actually cost to fill up my tank.

Then one day I was at the Sams Club in Pooler filling up, I watched as the pump ticked past $75. .  $80 . .  $85, I could feel my heart pounding as the numbers clicked on.  It finally stopped at $87.00, I will never forget that day.  I was filling up more than once a week, and that was an enormous amount of money to be spending on gas. 

Accidents you ask?  Yes, I backed that car into almost everything, and don't worry I have many friends and family who didn't let me forget.  Even worse was that the insurance on my car was rising considerably every year to the point where we were paying $267/month.  Comparing auto expenses from last year to this year, we have saved over $1,000 just from choosing a car that gets much better gas mileage.  Whenever anyone mentions my car or asks how I like it, I can't help but blurt out, "It only costs $35 to fill up!"  I can't even control myself.  I'm excited and I still enjoy driving this car, it still works for us and helps us live a better life within our means.  I encourage you to do the same, change is difficult, but no one ever did anything great without a little change.

3 Stores - 2 Days

Can you stretch your dollar farther by visiting multiple grocery stores to achieve the greatest savings possible, the answer is yes, but the question that you'll have to answer for yourself is whether it will actually be worth it to you?  I would visit 2 stores in one weekend, but 3 is pushing it for my patience and time.  Overall I bought $120.00 worth of groceries, for a total savings on my reciepts of almost $50.00.  I bought enough to cook 8 meals, lunches, and breakfasts all week, and I purchased 5 sundry items including laundry detergent, paper towels, soap, toilet paper and deoderant.

Coupon-wise I saved a total of $4.00, a great tip for Kroger is that you can go online before you shop and add coupons to your Kroger card.  When they scan the Kroger card, they are automatically applied to your receipt.  I liked this idea because there have been so many times where I have brought my coupons with me and left them right in my purse.  This is not happening anymore, I put my coupons in my wallet with my cash so when I pull out my cash I can't possibly forget then anymore.  The other thing that I do is when you pick up an item that has a "SAVE NOW" sticker on it, I take it off and put it with my coupons.  Every time I leave the sticker on the box, I miss my savings. 

Overall I know that my fridge is a little more full than usual, I feel like I got a little better quality in my meals, but the hassle and the time it took was not worth the running all over town.  My advice, "Pick the grocery store that you feel most comfortable in, and that you get your money's worth at, and shop there."  They all have good sales, they all have similarly priced items, but it really comes down to where you want to spend your hard earned money.  My money will be going to Publix and Kroger depending on my mood.