One of my biggest questions about couponing is starting a stockpile and what it consists of.

Since this is one of my major tips, I thought I would dive into it a bit deeper.

If you have caught the Extreme Couponing series, you have seen some Extreme stockpiles!  My stockpile is not that extreme….it’s more realistic.

I like to recommend that you stockpile items that you use for about 3-4 months.  Watch expiration dates because you don’t want the items to go bad in that time.  Remember….deals always come back around and in a 3 to 4 month time period you most likely will see a price reduction on the items.

Here is an example from my stockpile.  I was able to get men’s deodorant on a money maker!  So, total I have 12 deodorant.  Sounds like a ton but, It will last a year and I will not need to purchase deodorant until I am running out (taking deodorant out of purchases I make).  Now, 12 deodorant will last more than a year for a man…I know.  I personally don’t mind using it myself.  I think it smells fresher than the women’s deodorant anyway.  I also tend to take them to school in case the teen boys need an extra in emergency for their PE locker!    So, I will use what I purchase.  I do this with all the items we use on a regular basis.  Doing this allows me to regularly take items out of my budget.  Hence bringing down the grocery/household items bill!

I also like to donate quite a bit.  Food isn’t the only thing you can donate.  If you are struggling buying food, people are probably struggling purchasing hygiene items too.  Those can be donated as well!

When I do my stock pile I don’t go overboard.  I buy what I will use within about  a 4 month time period.  Then within that time, generally a new deal will come up and I restock.  If I have extra items, I donate them…my family also gets a ton too!

Last April I ran a 30 days to save post.  You can read those here…there are about 30 posts total on how to coupon.  You can also click it at the top…there are more in that tab too! 

You can also read yesterdays post here.

Have fun!

I had the opportunity to read and review a wonderful book On The Winds OF Self-Esteem by Dr. Louise Hart.

Personally, I loved this book.  I would classify it as a self-help book, but I quickly found myself reading it from the point of a teacher and mom.

The book has 3 parts.  The first focusing on why people have or find themselves with a low self-esteem.  The second giving exercises, lessons, and advice into learning how to find love for yourself and how to raise your own self-esteem.  The third wrapping up the book and reflecting on going forward in life.  The whole while comparing life to that of a butterfly’s transformation from caterpillar to beauty.  Sounds corny, but it’s not in the book.

As I began reading the book, my first thoughts were what a great book this would be for all parents to read.  A little lesson in finding/remembering our own self worth, as well as nurturing it in our children.  There are also awesome exercises in the book for self-love that easily can be incorporated into parenthood. 

Reading this book reminded me once again to tell my daughters how wonderful they are! 

This book would be a comfort for any woman who has found herself in a position where circumstances in life have brought her pain.  The main point of the book is this; I was able to find it easily transferred for many purposes.  It’s definitely a pick me up with really great ideas to aid self-reflection and healing.

This was an easy read, simple to understand and straight forward.  I’m happy I had the opportunity to read it.  It’s a lovely book and if you get a chance, take the time to sit down and read it too.

Click here for a video if you have more interest.

Check out her best selling children’s books too, just to reinforce how special our kiddo’s are!

Dr. Louise Hart is a community psychologist who has raised two sons and a daughter.  She is a leading educator in the area of self-esteem development and has conducted seminars for thousands of parents and educators nationwide.  Her focus has been the promotion of environments in which children thrive and learn the skills necessary to become healthy, self-directed, and loving adults.  She is available to speak at conferences around the country.  Visit her website: www.drlouisehart.com.  You can find her books, On the Wings of Self-Esteem, and The Winning Family on (Visit) her website: http://www.drlouisehart.com.  They are also available on http://www.Amazon.com. You can also sign up for Louise’s positive parenting newsletter on her website.

OH, it has been a stressful day.  More stressful for my sister than me. 

I got a call this morning that my sister had to rush her 8 month old daughter to the ER.  She has an umbilical hernia, which should under normal circumstances be OK, but in her case needed emergency surgery.

I met my sister at the hospital to get my 2 year old nephew.

Anyway, the baby had surgery, all is well thank God!  My nephew is sleeping and I can finally sit down and rest! 

Oh, and I’m waiting for my homemade Greek yogurt to incubate so, I’ll be up for a while.

Sorry if I have been away from the blog for the day….if I’m slow tomorrow…..I still will have my nephew and I’m not used to a 2 year old running around my house!

A couple of weeks ago, I was approached by Zillionz Toys and asked if I was interested in Reviewing any of their products.  Well, my kids and saving money are two of my favorite things!  So, put them together and the bells started ringing in my head.

I was sent over the Savings goal ATM and Zillionaire.  I was pretty impressed!

A bit about Zillionz Toys:

Zillionz Toys is a line of money management toys and gadgets, that helps children as young as 3 years old learn all about money and offers parents tips on teaching kids money management. Utilizing life lessons is an effective way of getting the point across to your kids.Start them on an allowance. This is a sensible way for kids to make independent choices and develop appreciation for the things they buy. Sit down with children to explain about allowance — how much it is, when they get it, and what they are expected to pay for with it.Identify the four important elements of managing money: spending, saving, investing, and donating.Each Zillionz product includes a detailed Pop Guide full of tips on how to be a “Zillionaire.”

Highlights of the collection include:

Savings Goal ATM(Ages 5+): The Savings Goal ATM works with real money and features a single-screen backlit digital display. Just insert the ATM card to activate the screen and view your savings.

Zillionaire (Ages 5+): It enables users to set up customized savings programs (up to three different accounts), view your balance in any bank at anytime, set up deposit and allowance reminders, create passwords and more!

Counting Money Jar (Ages 5+): Kids can learn all about saving money with this handy jar that will count your coins and digitally display your savings. With Balance Guard ™, it remembers your balance…even if you have to replace the batteries.

Talking Cash Register (Ages 4+): A great learning tool for learning about money and math. The Talking Cash Register speaks in three different languages: English, Spanish and French, and includes all of the functions of a real cash register.

These toys range in price of $10-$49.99.  Totally realistic for what they do!

My Review:

We opened the toys and my girls FLEW to their piggy banks.  They were ready to attack!  Very cool since the ATM machine really looks like a scaled down ATM Machine. 

My girls are 8 and 6.  Perfect ages for these toys, but my husband and I did have to sit down with them to set these up.  Really, a parent should sit down with their children to get these toys going.  Both of these toys require passwords for the kids (very realistic) I have passwords for my bank accounts.  Don’t worry, you can put in a parent backup password. 

ATM

Immediately, discussion was provoked about saving money.  The ATM machine has the ability to Deposit and withdrawal money.  As the money is Deposited it keeps track of how much you have put into your ATM. 

I also really liked the password feature.  Friends can’t get into the ATM machine or Zillionaire, and I talked to my daughters about not giving passwords out and why it was important.

Zillionaire

Zillionaire is pretty cool too.  Zillionaire has 3 different “bank” slots which help your child understand the concept of immediate money, and longer term saving options.  Zillionaire also has the ability to customize to saving for more than 1 child.  Personally, I took a slot for myself since there is always change lying around the house!  Now, I have a place that everyone knows it can go.

When we set up this toy, we set up savings goals and talked about how much what she wanted would cost.  There are passwords for this toy too.

Both girls happily spent the rest of the evening looking around the house for change to plunk into their new banks!  They are even now interested in getting an allowance and watching their banks keep track of how much money they are depositing.

These really are educational toys that are teaching the child about the importance of saving.  More importantly, they sparked some really awesome conversations between our children and us about money and what to save for.  It was pretty cool when my 8 year old said that she could use it to start saving for College!  I would rather she was saving for something special for herself now, but she got the concept.   It also allowed me to talk to her about investing her money. 

These aren’t toys that I would keep in the playroom.  They are working with REAL money.  Definately, a recommendation by me!  Especially, if you are looking to teach your child the concept behind what their allowance is for. 

Here is what miss 1 said about Savings Goal ATM (she’s 8):  “It’s like having your own bank account in your bedroom.”  “I like pushing the buttons and that it keeps track of how much money you have.”

Here is what Miss 2 said about Zillionaire (remember, she is only 6): “I like that you can put your money in it.”  “I like that it tells how much money you have.”

Hey Mom’s check out this great new Ragu community “Mom’s the Word on Dinner”!

“I don’t feel like eating dinner now!”, “I want ice cream!”  For most Moms, these are all too familiar– and all too frequent — demands heard by kids everywhere around 5:30 pm. Yes, as Moms we face a set of dinnertime challenges nearly every night- challenges that only another mom can understand. That’s why Ragú® is launching “Mom’s the Word on Dinner,” an online community for moms to laugh, learn and share their take on what really happens at dinnertime.
 
Ragú® is teaming up with some familiar faces, including some of the fabulous ladies of Momversation™, to bring moms together to share stories and tips, celebrate the small wins and laugh about situations that only other moms can relate to.  Each month, this online community will be tackling topics from how to deal with picky eaters, to getting them to eat their veggies to what’s being discussed at the dinner table, with some tips from parenting expert and author, Dr. Michele Borba, and Registered Dietician, Dr. Felicia Stoler.
 
In addition to the ongoing fun and conversation, the Mom’s the Word on Dinner community will feature videos, photos, polls, quizzes and dinner ideas with quick and easy recipes. Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional pasta sauce with two full servings of veggies in every half cup of sauce provides nutritious meal options for parents to help them on their mission to feed their kids well. This wouldn’t be a true community without interaction and Ragú® wants to hear what happens at dinnertime in kitchens and homes across the country!  Moms can join the conversation and tell their story for a chance to be featured in a Ragú® ad in PEOPLE magazine at Facebook.com/ragusauce. 

“Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® prize package in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.”

Sorry, I’m a bit out of touch today.  Miss 1 is sick….I was super sick all last week so, it is only fitting that now it is hitting the kiddo’s.

Stuffy nose, belly ache, and a crazy itchy rash all over her face.  Yuck…it looks terrible…and I keep yelling at her to not scratch bc she is going to rip her face up!  Nice mom I am, huh….

So, sorry if I’m out of touch.  I’ll get you deals when I can find time to sit down in between making homemade chicken noodle soup, cuddles and laundry!