The Easiest Way to Save for a Rainy Day! Pantry Challenge

Ever wonder why nothing seems to change when we keep doing things the same things we've always done? Well, I have! So, I'm going to mix things up a bit and just for a test. let's stop doing what we've always done and take a lealp of faith to actually accumulate a few found dollars. This may be one of the easiest ways to save for a rainy day yet. Let me ask you - Are you in the club that has their emergency savings for six months to a year all nice and neat in some CD or other financially acceptable fund? Or are you someone like me just starting to venture into these waters of savings? Either way, we need each other especially in this economy. Come let's do this.
Here's how the Pantry Challenge works: Modify it to work for you and your family.
1. Instead taking your weekly to the grocery store, try seeing how many days you can live off what's in your cupboard, freezer and pantry! That 's it. Now check back in to let everyone know how you did. Did you come up with some innovative solutions to feed your fam?
Believe it or not there are many blogs out there using this challenge right now. And I propose to go one step further. Take the allotted grocery budget and place it in a firebox or other safe place. Oh, please note that if you have kids (or not) and don't freeze your milk and bread (I do), please take out enough of food allowance for bread and milk and produce as your family needs. Good luck to us all! Tune in next time for another funky idea to Sock Some Cash Away for a Rainy Day!

When getting a great deal isn't enough anymore

Not long ago, my uncle Joe pointed out something about my couponing that changed the way I look at saving money FOREVER (or at least up until today:).

He said clipping coupons and chasing deals is great 'n all but aren't you basically spinning your wheels? Light dawned that day on my marble head. Here I was thinking this crazy couponing adventure was the ticket to financial freedom for my family. What I discovered was that he was so right when I looked a little deeper at my spending and saving habits. Lo and behold, Uncle Joe who didn't clip one coupon and was no means in the high income tax bracket was building his savings in high gear while I was stuck in neutral regarding my savings plan!

Thank you Uncle Joe for being a great example of frugality. From this vantage point, I begin my blogging newsletter. That is, I intentionally want to grow my savings and share my experience, strength and hope with YOU who are too trying to do things differently. We will embark on this Savings Crusade shedding light in this dark and dreary economic outlook in our still free United States of America.

Follow the leader of Savings Feb. 20 - 26

If I can do this savings thing anyone certainly CAN. All my life I've been a frivolous spender. If I can change my ways (though, don't worry I am still Sha Sha and will always be anything but conventional. Isn't that why you love me anyway, right?!).

Deals I've scored this week. Give it a try if you dare to start saving with me.

Rite Aid deal #1: I strolled into Rite Aid on Sunday afternoon armed with my coupons and picked up 1 Johnson & Johnson baby wash 150z. on sale for $2.99 minus $1 off 1 manufacturers coupon= $1.99oop (out of pocket) and received $2. UPS rewards to spend on future purchase at Rite Aid. Bottom line I shelled out $2 out of my pocket to get $2 off next purchase. Baby wash was FREE after rewards. Since I 've been doing this for a little while I actually used Rite Aid rewards from a previous purchase So, what I did was ROLL my rewards. Roll means I didn't shell out any of my CASH - I used UP$ bucks I had to purcase the baby wash and received back the up$ bucks amount I spent so I was rolling my rewards bucks and getting more FREE Products.