Money-Saving Tips

On the heels of a successful grocery shopping trip last night (I consider any time I save more than I spend a "win"), I thought perhaps I'd share the joy and let y'all in on a couple of money and time saving secrets for the benefit of the other moms who read this blog.  (You may already know all of them, in which case I DO hope you will share some of your tips in the comments!)  Take 'em or leave 'em, but here are my Top Four Tips of late:

1.  Amazon Mom.  If you are a member of Amazon Mom (and yes, grandparents and dads can join too), you get free two-day shipping just like their Prime Shipping program.  Unlike Prime Shipping, though, this is FREE (you get the first three months free and can add one month of membership for each $25 you spend in their baby store, which anyone who's bought diapers in a while will tell you, that'll be a cinch).  Yay for free!  And if you're already a Prime member, you can cancel your membership to join and they'll send you a prorated refund.

The other good news is that you get 30% off diapers and wipes if you subscribe to their delivery program.  You can select the frequency of deliveries.  (I signed up for once/month diaper delivery and once every two months for wipes.)  I've calculated the price per item, and I know some super-duper-couponers can get them a hair cheaper when they have all the right coupons and hit all the right sales, but if you are ever inclined to buy diapers for regular price, or even with just an occasional coupon, these prices are definitely going to save you money.  And the delivery option means you don't even have to drag screaming babies to the store! 

I have also caught a really good deal on Kashi cereal bars and subscribed to get them delivered to me cheap and in bulk.  So that's one less sale I have to watch for.  Just do the calculations per unit to make sure you're getting a good value.  The prices on amazon can change by the hour, and what was a deal yesterday may not be a deal today.

2.  www.iheartpublix.com

If you (a) have a Publix, and (b) clip coupons, you will save yourself worlds of time with this website.  When you click on "ongoing deals" at the top of the page, you can see the week's ad (or any of the "advantage buy" flyers put out monthly by Publix), along with all of the coupons that correspond to each sale item.  The internet coupons are hyper-linked and clickable.  Really, is there anything simpler in couponland?  I think not.  Make a meal plan based on the sale items and coupons, make a shopping list based on your meal plan, and you are bound to save money!

3. The Birmingham Bargain Mom

She's linked on the sidebar, and I'm a big fan.  Lately, instead of checking her blog all the time for fear I may miss something, I've subscribed to her daily email, which she sends at 3 pm every weekday.  The email contains the best of her blog for the day, and if you can't get enough, she's on facebook too.  If you're not in Birmingham, she sometimes has tips that apply anywhere, like hot coupons to print before they're gone and a statewide list of the consignment sales every spring and fall.

4.  The daily deal sites

Most of you know about these, but my current list for Birmingham contains the following sites.  If you know of more, let me know!

Groupon
LivingSocial
BigBham
SuperDeal

There is also a business one, RapidBuyr, which I get from the Birmingham Business Journal.  They sell printers and office equipment, among other things, at steep daily discounts.

Happy Saving, and please do share your tips!